"I will miss climbing in lowell with all my friends."
Mathew Murray
"The greatest lesson that Harvard has taught me is to take life as life is given to you and to go with the flow. Although it is important to plan for the future, many of the greatest things in my life have come from unplanned events that have led to meeting of great friends, trying new things, and, most importantly, finding myself as an individual."
Sarah Ashley
"Just be who you are absofuckinglutely unapologetically. If you’re weird, awkward, a unicorn, an orange peel, whatever, own it."
Lisette Alyne
"Greatest lesson Harvard has taught me = you have to experience failure in order to enjoy victory."
Moriya Blumenfeld
"What I'll miss most about Harvard is being surrounded 24/7 by phenomenal people who constantly push me to be the best version of myself."
Aleeza Hashmi
"My favorite part about Harvard has been learning what failure means to me. In high school, I was afraid of disappointing my parents. My first few years of college, I was afraid of failing. And now, I'm afraid of disappointing myself. Through Harvard, the many amazing friends I've made and people whom I've come across, I've slowly learned that fear can also be a source of strength. It can be a place to reach into, whether a place of self-assurance, hunger, or peace, failure means staying true to yourself and never compromising on what you believe in."
Phebe Hong
"All my favorite memories and friendships at Harvard revolve around meals in the dining hall. Given how busy we make our schedules, meals are the one sacred time where we allow ourselves to unwind, relax, listen, and connect to those around us. Whether they were private one-on-ones or giant gatherings of blockmates, housemates, and tutors — whether they were sharing memories of home over cornbread and chili, commiserating over midterms over oatmeal and eggs, cracking jokes over grape pizza and swai, or grabbing more dessert and tea to linger in the d-hall for just those few extra precious minutes — these are the moments that I will take away with me."
Laura Peterson
"At Harvard, I've learned what it's like to be surrounded by passionate, dedicated individuals and how to use such a supportive network to raise the bar and achieve more as a group than I could achieve on my own."
Gaby Ruiz-Colón
"The most important lesson at Harvard was to look beyond labels. I came in seeking to be compartmentalized into one specific community, and have "my thing." Like many of my peers, I soon found out that I was perfectly average and in fact, I'd likely never find that label for "Gaby the _____" Over time, I came to think about my communities much more broadly, and consequentially, think about defining myself across extracurriculars, and academic matters, and simply "Gaby." While I'm not thrilled about needing to say goodbye to Harvard, I leave with a fuller sense of myself, and a greater understanding of what it means to exist in a community, and that alone is pretty special :)"
Patrick Xu
"The great lesson Harvard has taught me is that failure is simply an opportunity to improve, and with a good heart and hard work you can do anything in this world."
Kristiana Bruzgule
"In all this college craziness - while juggling classes, extracurriculars and the endless list of meetings that fill up our calendars - we often forget to stop, breathe and appreciate. Appreciate being here, at this very moment. Being a part of the most inspiring, motivated and diverse community who challenges you today to be a better self than you were yesterday. And being provided with an abundance of opportunities to reach your goals and set new ones. So take a break in your everyday life, appreciate being here and be thankful."
Jennifer Kizza
"Harvard has taught me to leave my comfort zone. I have grown immensely through being motivated, encouraged, and inspired by my peers to take risks and try new things. This student body of this school has made me more passionate and determined to make a positive impact in the world. I feel so privileged every day to call Harvard, a school that has given me so much, my home."
Margaret Ramsey
"Going home after my freshman year, I was continually asked, "what's your favorite part about Harvard?" "That's easy," I replied, "the people." From Rhodes Scholars to Olympic level athletes, everyone has the incredible opportunity to learn from one another. And this opportunity is what I will miss most about Harvard."
Daniela Suarez
"I came in as a sheltered student from the bubble that was my school in New York City. I had a plan but quickly ripped it apart. Because if Harvard has taught me anything, it's, first off, how lucky I am to be here among the leaders of the world, it's that you don't have to stick to plans, it's realizing there are so many different ways to impact the world, it's how much power you hold when it comes to your life. But most of all, Harvard has given me a voice on today's most pressing issues and the tools and responsibility to tackle them."
Rebecca Hu
"I will miss my lovely conversations on Weeks Bridge (coincidentally, or not so coincidentally, when paper deadlines and exams are coming up)."
Peter Wu
"The greatest lesson Harvard has taught me is to trust my judgment and intuitions when it comes to making decisions and taking risks. Having the confidence to listen to yourself and improve yourself is something that I hope to carry with me for the rest of my life."
Herman Kaur Bhupal
"The greatest lesson that Harvard has taught me is that it is okay to be confused - you don't have to have a gameplan. I had previously experienced confusion in the classroom, but once I came to Harvard, I experienced confusion to a whole new level. I came here and switched concentrations, changed career goals, and took on new hobbies because I learned to accept confusion as a precursor to growth. Had I not learned that, I may very well have stuck with a concentration that was not a good fit all because I would have been too scared to explore the unfamiliar."
Tyler Dobbs
"Harvard taught me that it's okay not to win all the time. The best people I've met here—both in terms of their character and in terms of their accomplishments—fail often. That failure stings. (It's not for nothing that Latin makes little distinction between physical and emotional pain: dolor refers to both.) But those who go farthest get over that pain fast enough to get on to the next thing. What looks like unremitting success is actually occasional success combined with constancy in the face of failure."
Mary-Grace Reeves
"I will miss the beautiful colors of the autumn leaves in Harvard yard, the wonderful friendships and many conversations in the dining hall, and the incredible faculty (both for academic classes and our dance instructors from the Boston Ballet). I am so grateful to have had these four years."
Julie Chang
"Besides Felipe's and Crema Cafe, I'm going to miss Harvard's supportive environment that encourages us to explore freely. This community gave me the courage to pursue new interests, change directions, and meet some of the most kind, inspiring people along the way."