Hard to Say Goodbye

It’s that time of the year again: graduation is around the corner. A new group of twamps will receive their diplomas and proudly step to the real world on the other side of the Wren building. This year, I am excited to say that I will be a part of it! It all happens too fast. I can still recall my first visit to William & Mary; I was walking around confusion corner near Merchants Square on a sunny day and was suddenly attracted by the beautiful, seamless connection between the university and Colonial Williamsburg: you can enter one of the most beautiful, historic towns simply by crossing the street from campus. As a history student, I could not express how excited I was to know that I would be able to study in such a vibrant learning community. Now two years later, I feel like W&M has pushed me to be a better person academically, socially, and athletically.

First thing first, some update on my plan. I will be graduating this May with the highest Latin honor and plan to pursue my graduate degree in law next year! I have always been passionate about the law and believe the important civil responsibilities lawyers carry. I am so glad that W&M has pushed me so much further in my journey of pursuing a top legal education.

If you ask what defines my time here at W&M during the past two years, being a transfer intern at the admission office would definitely be the answer. I have enjoyed tremendously working with transfer Dean Pitschke and my fellow interns during the past years. The work has made me more grateful for this education after seeing the efforts the admission office puts in each applicant. It is also through this job that I got to talk with you guys — prospective transfer students. I have learned so much from your individual experiences and it is your passion that continues to exhilarate and motivate me. The admission office is what made W&M unique and I am so proud to be a part of it.

I will miss all the great opportunities W&M enabled me to have. During my time at W&M, I have been fortunate to intern at different industries with the help of W&M. I have visualized Chinese governments’ overseas investment at a prominent think tank, gained the first-hand legal knowledge at both a private law firm and in-house legal counsel, and shadowed a prominent NGO up and down Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. These amazing experiences came as integrated parts of my W&M education and continue to shape how I view the world.

I will miss all the great people. In W&M I have made friends across the globe and those are the relationships I am assured will last a lifetime. W&M has one of the most talented, active and creative student bodies in this whole country. As a transfer student, I got chances to meet people across class years, majors, backgrounds and even nationalities. I will also keep in touch with my professors, and people I worked with because I know how much they would love to see me succeed in the future.

There are so many more memories to be missed and it is always hard to say goodbye. Rest assured, I am glad to know that I will always have a place to call home at Williamsburg. I hope you will love this place as much as I do. Have a great summer and please let me know if you have any questions. Good luck and Go Tribe!

Alfred Ouyang ’18