As I read back through my “Letter to My Senior Self” I realized how optimistic and and naive I was as a freshman in college. I don’t think that freshman me realized how hard the road would be to get to where I am today. I lost some friends, broke some hearts and failed more exams than I would like to admit to. It’s hard to feel this way when everyone is telling you that college is supposed to be the best time of your life. I don’t really think of it this way though. For me, college was a stepping stone. My time at Longwood University helped me to grow into a person that I can truly be proud of.

Although my goals may have changed and I may no become the forensic nurse that I thought I would be when I started my college career, I will still be helping people. I decided to pursue nursing after I took an anatomy class as a senior in high school. I picked it on a whim really. I liked the human body and the structures within it, but I really had no idea what I was getting myself into.

In my original Senior Letter, I highlighted some of the friends and organizations I joined. These clubs grew to mean more to me than anything else. The people that I met through these organizations will be with me for the long haul. Although there were some people I did not like, I learned that this is the way the world works. I lost some people who I thought were my friends, and I now know that those who are meant to be in my life were put there for a reason. It’s okay to lose people, but I will need to keep up with the people that matter.

There are some people I would like to thank for their support during my college career. Firstly, I would like to thank my parents for their constant support and for believing in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. I would also like to thank my little sister, Emma Grace for always being there for me and making me take breaks even when I didn’t want to. I would also like to thank my girls, Logan, Sarah and Shannon for going through the horribleness that it nursing school with me. I couldn’t have done it without them. I would like to thank Professor Julie Ross for helping confirm my choice of major by telling me that I was doing a great job as a nurse when I felt that I didn’t fit in. I would also like to thank Dr. Wendy Thompson for pushing me to be curious and learn as much as I could about nursing. Its with the support my my family, friends, and professor that I am able to say that I am graduating from one of the top nursing schools in the country.

If I could give myself more advice for my future career I would say to remember to keep my humanity when treating my patients. It’s really common for nurses to get into a routine and just complete the assessments and more onto the next patients. I would remind myself that it is okay to fail. I have always been really hard on myself when it comes to making mistakes. I want to remind myself that I am only human. I want to remind myself that I can do anything I put my mind to and that I should break any barrier that I come into contact with because I am a strong, independent woman. Hard work does pay off in the end. Most of all, I am proud of you. You are going to do great things and I am proud of everything you do.

Molly Mancini, BSN