Isaiah 41:10 

I was reminded about the powers of connection yesterday and today. Yesterday, I had a virtual coffee date with a friend that I hadn’t seen or talked too in months. Today, I had a zoom chat with friends from the university. It was wonderful. I’ve been thinking about how physical structures hold our relationships in place and how much we rely on these structures to maintain our communication and connection with others. I was afraid that I would lose all of that when corona hit. But as I was talking with everyone I realized that even though Creighton as a physical structure held a special (insert something) our connection as COM majors, seniors, and what we are going through now bonded us in this moment. We all had the same questions, same worries about the future. I knew that I wasn’t alone. They had me. God has me.

I’m 24 years old… I’ve been in college for almost 6 years now. I’ve been at the same job since 2012. I have a few fears:

1. I won’t have any transferable skills 
2. I won’t have enough “professional” work experience
3. I’ll be too comfortable in my role as a student 
4. I’ll be a waitress forever 

I’ve never known anything else. I’ve worked every weekend for the last 7 years of my life. I’ve skipped spring break trips and I’ve sacrificed holidays with my family just to finish with as little debt as possible. I’ve dedicated my life to a future that is more uncertain than ever. I had the chance to graduate a semester early (Dec. 2019). I decided against it. With being dedicated; comes with a cost.. A social cost. I didn’t think I was ready to enter the “real world”. I didn’t think that I had gotten everything out of Creighton and the COM department that I could. I craved something more. And man, was I right. The fall of 2019 was hands down the best semester I’ve ever had anywhere. I built the relationships I desperately wanted. I met B, AM, and C. Most importantly I got to know Al. Al got me through that semester because she is the complete opposite of me. She is fun. She is light. And she takes no shit from anyone. We balanced each other as best as we could. Al doesn’t know this but she saved me from feeling completely alone at Creighton. I’m forever thankful to her.

The COM department… my second home really. By I think mid semester, Sher had let me use her cabinet shelf to store food. Thank you so much Sher.. You not only saved me gas money, food money and probably many more things but you also saved my back and shoulders from having to carry my lunch box around all day. The hardest part is knowing that there’s a chance I might not get to say goodbye. Everything just happened so fast. It was like spring break and then you guys aren’t coming back. Ever. I’ll never be able to study up in the fish bowl or be surrounded by all the COM professors who not only love what they are doing, love their coworkers but inspire people like me to want to learn more, know more, question more. Do better and be better. I didn’t feel like a COM major until this year. I didn’t feel a part of the culture; I don’t know why or what changed but I am so sad that it was cut short. This virus stole the value in my last semester; my last year. I don’t know how to process that.. I don’t know how to accept that yet.