A soon-to-be graduate’s reflection

I’ve been staring at this page for a little while now, because up until the second my fingers started typing, I had planned on sticking to the outline and writing this week’s business-student experience on choosing a major. Which, don’t get me wrong, is an important topic, and there is no doubt that one of my next pieces will be singing the LEO department praises, because my experience has been eye-opening and life-changing and lots of other wonderful adjectives, too.

Anyway, I’ve been staring at this page after a super-nostalgic week, and I knew that my outline had to be refocused a bit. This week, Delta Sigma Pi (DSP), the first co-ed business fraternity on our campus and my family, helped conduct our semesterly interviews of potential new members (PNM’s) since my first semester at Saint Joseph’s University.

This is always one of my favorite weeks of the semester – it is so exciting to see our brothers’ excitement and passion for DSP reflected in our PNM’s, and there’s really no greater feeling than seeing a pledge begin a journey with the organization, and the people, that have come to mean so much over my four years here. And while I love this week, it’s definitely strange to now be the grandma on the side of the interviewing table – I’ve done this seven times now, and yet it was nothing short of bizarre to be the one that is getting the “where do you hope to see DSP go after you leave?” question from an interviewee. So while I stew on that one, and make sure I’m not getting gray hair and reassure myself that the reason I’m sore is from my yoga practice and not old age, I’m going to leave you with something short and sweet.

While I could continue to talk about the accounting equation or the great classes and professors I’ve had, what I truly think is that more than any of these things, the people that surround you in those classes, or while you’re battling those accounting flashcards, are the most important thing you leave your St. Joe’s experience with.

So, while the semester gets busier, and my LEO Capstone and Business Policy course projects gear up, I’m telling myself to put the time in, but also to close the books and enjoy those people. And I’m telling you to do that, too. Be present, be appreciative, and embrace the fact that if the business curriculum was strictly about just that – the curriculum – we’d all be taking classes on our own, and we’d probably never see a group project again. And maybe this sounds like a blessing to some, but I don’t know where I’d be without my people – some of which, I met through the “dreaded” group project.

With that being said, I’m going to go ahead and enjoy them while I have them close. So hey, Delta Sigma Pi, I’m looking at you – thanks for being there for as long as I’ve known – I’m excited to see what these next 12 weeks hold for us.