2012: A Year in Review by Mark

2012 was an interesting year.  Last year at this time, I went through what many of you are going through now.  I took a full load of AP classes and participated in numerous extra-curricular activities, all while navigating the college application process.  After getting in Early Decision, the knowledge I would be attending my first choice school definitely helped get me through the year!  Upon graduating from high school, I spent the summer in eager anticipation of my impending move to Williamsburg.  Transitioning from high school to college was definitely a strange experience.  Saying goodbye to my friends as we headed our separate ways and waiting anxiously for orientation week was an unsettling experience.  However, now I’m here looking back at the amazing first semester I had, the life long friends I have already made, and the beautiful school I see when I wake up every morning.  Although sometimes this means waking up for those 8 a.m. science labs and classes! On my first quiet, early morning here, as I walked across campus to my class in the Wren Building, it reminded me how lucky I was to be a part of the Tribe and its wonderful learning community.

In 2012, William & Mary opened up many major opportunities for me.  I could not be happier here at William & Mary, where I am surrounded by so many intelligent and diverse friends.  I have learned so much in my first semester, and I became involved with great activities such as Tour Guiding and the Student Alumni Council.  The courses I took last semester have already changed and expanded my way of thinking.  Transitioning to college is one of the best experiences of your life. For the first time, you can really take the reins for all of the responsibilities of your life.  So, to all of you finishing your last months of high school and eagerly anticipating the college experience that lies ahead of you, I want to remind you to cherish it all.  Don’t rush the process. Have a great last few months and try your best to enjoy the end of one chapter of your life and the beginning of the next.  William & Mary is so excited to see what talents you have in store!

-Mark