"My favorite Harvard memory will always be the first dinner I had with my blocking group at Bartley's. Little did any of us know this was the beginning of great friendships, occasional feuds, and more fun than any of us could have foreseen. Our time at Harvard together may be coming to an end, but I know we've built relationships that will last a lifetime."
Samantha Martin
"The best part about the last four years had been the incredible people I've gotten to meet. It's easy to get intimidated by the endless talent here, but much more fun to just appreciate and learn from everyone instead."
Hursuong Vongsachang
"The greatest lesson I have learned at Harvard is to be kind to and celebrate yourself and others."
Albert Li
"My favorite memory about Harvard was making a new friend every day over lunch or dinner in Annenberg during freshman year. I got to learn so much about my classmates and had fruitful (sometimes really intense!) discussions about topics ranging from Bach's usage of polyphony to the ethics of genome engineering."
Zachary Brazão
"I'm grateful for the financial aid. I'm grateful for the clam chowder."
Caity Begg
"The greatest lesson I learned at Harvard is that true strength and self-confidence derives from embracing vulnerability."
Terilyn Chen
"Probably one of the most important lessons I've learned during my time (but am also still trying to get better at) here is the necessity and power of just reaching out to people you think are cool and being honest about how great you think they are. It's a little scary at first and puts you in a bit of a vulnerable position, but it feels so good. And then you can become friends and be two cool people together instead."
Jilan Shimberg
"The greatest lesson I've learned at Harvard is the importance of listening to those around you. While engaging with my classmates, I discovered so much about them, the world around me, and myself."
Lucia Millham
"The greatest lesson I have learned at Harvard: 'Stories -- yours and others’ -- are important. Take the time to listen, interpret, and respond."
Ivie Tokunboh
"What I will miss most at Harvard are the little families that I've joined and that have taken me in as their own."
James Loomos
"Harvard taught me to not be afraid. Whether that is with being myself, taking trips, or trying new things, I believe Harvard has made me more willing to move outside my comfort zone and stopped fear from being a limiting factor for me."
Zoe Galindo
"I used to designate certain days of the week as "cute days"; where I'd put more effort into wearing a nicer outfit, doing my hair, the whole nine yards to offset the days where practice would leave me in shambles before class. My roommates would constantly [lovingly] note my failure to comply with this. Here I am four years later accepting my own version of cute, sports bra and all, because I did indeed have a helmet on my head and sweat dripping down my face at 7am this morning. I will always remember those mornings, the daily debate in the locker room with my teammates about what to wear post practice."
Dario Guerrero
"Ya la sierra se nevó
Ya los largos se acortaron
Ya los hartos se acabaron
Y el uno se hizo tres."
Katie Farineau
"I'll miss the environment which allowed me to explore different aspects of my identity and which gave me the resources to start making myself into the person I always wanted to be."
Joe Najibi
"The little, spontaneous epiphanies that have made me realize how much I have, intellectually and personally, developed over these past years are some of the moments I will miss the most. Harvard has challenged us in ways I thought unimaginable, and it is the impact of these experiences as to why I will treasure them as we begin life after Harvard."
Jazly Liriano
"On July 25, 2014 I walked into a cafeteria of roughly 90 campers wishing me a happy birthday. They even wrote cards and drew endearing pictures of me playing soccer with them or pushing them on the swings. One camper advised me to "stay away from boys because they only bring trouble" and others confessed that I was their "favorite" teacher. During my time here at Harvard the Boston Refugee Youth Enrichment Program has been my home away from home. I am eternally grateful to the BRYE campers and their families for teaching me the most valuable lesson of all: to find hope one must simply look to young people."
Melinda Wang
"Harvard has taught me how to smile in the face of hardships. And neuroscience has taught me that the physical act of smiling can and does strengthen our emotional well-being. The people I’ve encountered, the classes I’ve taken, and the mind-blowing talks I’ve attended have exposed me to a much bigger world than my own life. Now I really know the difference between first world problems and #firstworldproblems."
Connie Hsu
“You never know the worth of water until the well is empty.” Everyone’s busy at Harvard. There isn’t a single student who hasn’t, at some point, felt overwhelmed by the amount of work they had to finish. But it takes a certain amount of mindset to stop and smell the roses. Instead of stressing over what’s in the future, why not stop and enjoy the present? All the experiences we’ve encountered, the long- lasting friendships we’ve made, all those beautiful memories – these are aspects of our time here at Harvard that matter the most. So its time to stop using “busy” as an excuse, and really enjoy everything wonderful that we have – all the people, experiences, love, and the many happy moments that are always around you."
Jessica Barzilay
"It’s almost impossible to choose just one favorite memory at Harvard—sledding down Widener Steps in the blizzard of freshman winter, the Harry Potter- reminiscent thrill of getting “sorted” on Housing Day, dancing in Ghungroo with 20 new friends, playing volleyball with my blockmate at the Dunster Goat Roast, running barefoot down Mount Auburn Street with my roommate after formal, heels in hand, welcoming freshmen to campus during Opening Days, and the triumph of winning our fourth consecutive Harvard-Yale Game all compete for top billing. Senior Champagne Brunch is definitely close to number one though, for the way it brought so many friends and friendly faces into one space. It brought into focus one of the things I’ll miss most about Harvard: living within walking distance of all my favorite people!"
Viona Shina Leboo
"Harvard has been a place with ups and downs, sometime the low moments could make you feel overwhelmed or in the wrong place. In the highs and lows, I have learnt so much. Looking back, I appreciate everything that I have experienced. The hard times made me stronger, and are now stories that I can share. While the good times are moments that I will forever cherish, with the people who experienced them with me. All I can say is that the moments that everything seemed broken, I came out a better person. I'm grateful to Harvard for this."