An Open Letter to All the Classes of 2020

Dang. This is definitely NOT what we expected when we were planning our senior year, huh? When I was personally imagining my final months at Texas Wesleyan University, I imagined spending my birthday out with my friends. I imagined a cute little going away party on my last day of work at the clinic that I was teching at. I imagined late night study dates at Ol' South Pancake House with my classmates while we stressed over some exam, and game nights, and pigging out at the free nacho bar at Chuys with my friends. I pictured tear-filled goodbyes and closure and all sorts of graduation pictures with a promise of "see you later, alligator". But, just like all of you-whether high school or college- I didn't get any of that. Instead, I got Collaborate classes and commercial projects and FaceTimes with my friends, not knowing when I'd get to see them again.

But, in the face of all of this, I gained some other things, too.

I got family time that I wouldn't have gotten before. And since I'm moving 4 1/2 hours away in August, that time is PRICELESS.

I learned how to be compassionate and how to sacrifice for the greater good on a completely different level.

I learned that GOD PROVIDES, especially in times of trouble or adversity.

I learned that we as a society are so much stronger united than we are apart.

And finally, I learned how STRONG we are as a graduating class. We overcome. We conquer. We demolish anything that gets in our way. We find a way to make lemonade out of lemons because that is the kind of people we are.

Does this situation suck? 1000%. And some out there not in our position will never quite understand what we were robbed of and how much this really hurt or how deep this cut. But, Class of 2020, you are WARRIORS. Each of us will succeed because at this point we don't know how to do anything else. We roll with the punches and make it look EASY.

Yes, we may not get the last semester or graduation we dreamed of. Yes, we may have been robbed. But this pandemic will never be able to take our FIGHT, our SPIRIT, our DETERMINATION, our TENACITY, or our COMPASSION. We will forever be transformed by these events, but I believe it is all for our good. We will be the next leaders, the next movers and shakers because of this. We will not be broken. We will not be shaken. We will move forward and remind the world that pressure makes diamonds and that though times seem dark, the dawn is on the way. And we'll be there, at the front leading the charge.

Congratulations Class of 2020. I am so proud of you, and know that we are in this together. And remember, God gives His hardest battles to His toughest soldiers. You were made to change the world. Now, you've been battle-tested. So go use your gifts and show the would that WE CAN and WE WILL. Stay safe. God bless. and together WE WILL.

Love,

A fellow Class of 2020 Graduate