This post was published in the Welcome Mat, a Lodewick Visitors Center student blog.

Good morning Huskies, a very emotional Katie here!

On May 8, it is with a heavy heart that I will say goodbye to professors, co-workers, classmates, and friends whom I have shared a home with for the past four years. As I look back on my time at UConn, I can point to two defining moments that have helped shape my college experience: the selection of my sophomore roommate, Kelly, and the day I was hired as a Lodewick Visitors Center tour guide. Both were turning points in my UConn journey and have served as the foundation for the academic, personal, and emotional growth that has taken place during my college years.

Since being hired as a member of the Lodewick Visitors Center staff in September of 2009, I have battled wind, rain, and snow in order to show hundreds of prospective students why UConn is the school for them. Yet, even after three years and countless tours, I still find myself excited by the challenges, questions, and surprises that every new information session brings.

As a tour guide, I have learned valuable skills as a public speaker and leader, and gained an extended family of 40 unique, talented, and diverse co-workers. I feel privileged to have been a part of such a special community and to have shared the khaki uniform with so many extraordinary people. I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to [Visitors Center staff] Renea [Harrington], Pam [Pellegrine], and Meg [Malmborg] for their continued patience, guidance, and support, and a special thanks to Andy, Amanda, Seth, and Areal for their friendship and laughter over the years. Each of you has made my college years unforgettable and I will miss you greatly.

September 2009 was also the month I met Kelly. Kelly and I were assigned as random roommates two weeks before the start of my sophomore year. She was a transfer student from CCSU, and I was the odd man out in a group of five girlfriends. We didn’t plan to be best friends, but that’s precisely what happened. Anyone who meets Kelly is immediately drawn to her vivacious spirit and genuine smile. Her passion for family, friends, dogs, and life is contagious – and Kelly’s jokester-personality makes it hard to have a bad day when she’s around.

But, having come from a long line of “fair-weather-friendships,” I was reluctant to trust that Kelly and I would be more than roommates. She was beautiful, popular, and outgoing, and I feared that I wouldn’t be able to match up. Yet, day after day, Kelly proved to be unlike any friend I had in the past. She introduced me to her friends, boyfriend, and family, and I saw my social circle – and confidence – quickly expand. Through Kelly’s encouraging words, friendship, and laughter, I gained a new-found self-worth. I learned that I could trust people, and was no longer afraid that what I had to offer was inadequate. I know that Kelly was put into my life to show me the meaning of true friendship. Since the time we met, Kelly has been a role model for strength, selflessness, and self-respect. She is always kind, never judgmental, and occasionally, quirky. Kelly is everything I could ask for in a friend and nothing I would change. Thank you for all of your love, Kel – I am so glad you got stuck with me.

But Kelly is just one of the friends whom I count as part of my extended family – Morgan, Katie, Trish, Lindsey, D, Dustin, Greg, and Rob also hold a very special place in my heart. Whether recapping our weekend over Sunday breakfast, showcasing our (limited) vocal talent at Ted’s Karaoke, or staying up in hopes of a snow day announcement from Jay Hickey, my friends have provided the unscripted moments that have made my years as a Husky the best of my life. We have shared laughter that turned to tears, and tears that morphed into uncontrollable laughter. Through the good, bad, and ugly, we have grown closer and stronger. My friends have shown me what it means to be loved, to laugh, and to truly live. I can’t imagine what these years would have been like without them, and I will forever cherish our time together.

And while I will miss Fall days spent tailgating at Rentschler Field, winter nights cheering on the Huskies in Gampel Pavilion, and Spring Weekends getting dirty on the Oozeball court, I know that these years are only the beginning of the rest of our lives. Wherever we end up, whomever we end up with, I know that we will always have each other. I love you all from the bottom of my heart.

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not thank the two most important people in my life – my parents. Through the ups and downs of the past four years, my mom and dad have provided me with the support, love, and friendship that have made this milestone possible. They have endured move-in days, tearful phone calls, panicked emails (remember that time I thought I wasn’t going to graduate?), and everything in between with a patient and encouraging outlook. They have given me space, but welcomed me home when I was in need of a home-cooked meal and a warm bed. They have pushed me to believe in myself when I didn’t think I could go any further, and shown me unconditional love when I didn’t know if I was worthy. In the past four years, I have seen that my Mom and Dad are much more than parents – they are role models. They have worked hard to provide a life for my siblings and me that is more than they had – all the while, never asking for recognition or praise.

Thank you for blessing me with the most beautiful life I can imagine, Mom and Dad. If I can be even half the people you are, I will consider myself successful. Thank you for being my best friends. I love you.

Graduation Day will come too quickly, and in the meantime, I plan to enjoy every last moment with the people that I love the most. I may not be returning in the fall, but I will always live by the UConn mantra: “Students today, Huskies forever.”