This week is graduation week and my emotions are ALL over the place. I cannot believe that it has been 4 years since I started this chapter in my life and now it is coming to a close. The time I have spent at Clemson has been the best years where I met the most amazing people that will be apart of my life forever! Throughout my time here, I have grown so much and found a love and passion for teaching! I am thankful for the College of Education here at Clemson University for preparing me and providing me with the best education.

I am so grateful for the friendships this school has brought me! One piece of advice I would give anyone who is about to start college is to step out of your comfort zone and talk to new people or try new things! I met all of these girls in my education classes and we hit it off right off the bat. Marissa, the girl on the far right was my first friend I ever met in college. I walked into class on the very first day of college and thought “this girl looks friendly, I think I’ll sit by her” and look where we are now! I met the other 3 during my sophomore year of college and we became super close our junior year! Now I get to hold onto these friendships forever and share all of our crazy but exciting teacher stories!

My last piece of advice for anyone in the college world, always make the most out of your time and hold onto your memories! I would struggle at times where I didn’t think I could do something due to having school work, but time management is going to be your best friend and your worst enemy. Prioritize your school work obviously, but plan out your days to where you can get it done and then go and enjoy yourself! I promise, you will remember the time you went to that baseball game more than when you were studying for that test. Make time for both! Stop to take pictures along the way! 20 years from now, I may not remember as much about my college experience, but I will have pictures to look back to reminisce on!
As I wipe up my tears from writing this post, I owe a HUGE thank you to my parents and family because without them, I would not have been able to live out my dream here at Clemson! I also want to thank everyone for all your love and support you have given me over the years! Your kind words truly have made the biggest impact on me and has helped me grow into a confident educator! Stay tuned for the next chapter in Miss Dorn’s life 😉