By Maya Young

Over three years ago, my parents and I drove down from Seattle to Portland to tour the PSU campus. After visiting a few other campuses including Western Washington University and Evergreen College, I was instantly attracted to Portland’s unique urban setting and was very excited about the number of food carts scattered throughout the city and the campus itself. Moving ahead to September of 2017, I moved into the Ondine Residence Hall as an overwhelmed sophomore who had just graduated high school and had never lived on their own before. I quickly found a love for the campus, new friends, and all of the great food that Portland had to offer.

Flash forward to now, I am a week away from moving back home to Seattle and just completed the last of my finals for the winter term. Yesterday was my last day attending classes on-campus and I spent my walks to class looking around PSU for what felt like the last time. Almost three years have passed since I first moved to Portland, and while some stressful classes and long nights have made it feel lengthier, it simultaneously feels as if I just got here. My experience so far has shown me that being in college can be described as both the best of times and the worst of times (yes, it’s cheesy, I know). I have made amazing memories with friends, built long-lasting relationships, took interesting and useful courses in my major, and pursued a variety of great opportunities. At the same time, I also stressed over homework, experienced hardships with friends and roommates, and dwelled on my future after college. 

Despite these varying experiences, I am immensely grateful for my time at PSU and know that I will be leaving as a more well-rounded person ready to conquer anything that is ahead of me.