Well, it’s here. It’s the final week in Athens for around 14,000 undergraduates. Days are filled with saying goodbyes, rallying through senior shot shuffles and wrapping up bucket-list items. Court Street is packed beyond recognition, and College Green is crawling with those looking for one last moment on the bricks.
It’s the final week of college, and all I can think about is the 15-year-old me who never thought I’d be here.
There is really no one reason my teenage self believed that. College seemed so far off, and I was worried about making it through the rest of high school. All of the typical teenage worries crowded my life. But something shifted when I began to explore subjects outside of my comfort zone. For the first time, education wasn’t a chore; it was a tool. College suddenly felt like an obtainable goal. Two years later, I was moving into Washington Hall on East Green.
My college experience was based on the foundation of journalism, but it wasn’t built on it. In the past four years, multidisciplinary work in geology and anthropology became the most rewarding part of my time in Athens.
In fact, the best journalistic advice I received in college was given to me by Dr. Diane Ciekawy, associate professor of anthropology at Ohio University. Over the past couple of years, I have forgotten her exact wording, but the message has sustained: “Believe that others believe.”
It’s an incredibly simple, almost obvious, piece of advice on face value. In practice, however, it means listening without question and recognizing that others’ realities are shaped by experiences different from my own. For me, this piece of advice became the foundation for how I move through the world.
However, I can’t be amiss to forget the incredible journalism professors who have made it all possible. Thank you for pushing me to become a better, more empathic journalist. I owe it all to you.
Today, I have a black-and-white picture of Malala Yousafzai above my desk in the newsroom. What began as a joke, something I hung up while searching for motivation to push through my senior honors thesis, turned into something representing a whole lot more. It’s a reminder of how much access I’ve been given, and how easy it can be to take that for granted. The ability to sit in a newsroom, to write and learn, to question our administration, none of that is guaranteed.
The late nights I spent at my desk, whether for The Post or for my thesis project, were exhausting, but were also some of the most rewarding. Somewhere between the deadlines, I realized I had become someone I never pictured myself being.
I never imagined holding a leadership role or committing myself to a long-term research project requiring so much patience and confidence. But in the moments of reflection, I realized it wasn’t just me who had helped me get here. It was my friends and peers who supported me.
To all of the people I have met and interacted with, with whom I have forged deep connections, and even those I’ve only spoken with in passing, you have left an Athens-shaped imprint on my heart. The city itself is something incredibly special, but something that is only made possible by the wonderful people within it.
Finally, to Lori Stewart Gonzalez, I was thrilled to see the first woman sit in the presidential chair at Ohio University during my time as a student. And it has been incredibly disappointing to see how you have failed your student body.
In a time with constantly growing restrictions to bar people from being themselves, and in spite of an inept college administration, Athens and OU stand as a beacon for what is possible if people weren’t afraid of a better world.
College was something I approached with a lot of hesitation, but now I am graduating without fear of what's next because I know the support systems I’ve created will uplift me. It has been a privilege and an honor to work at The Post. And an even greater adventure to have experienced OU in all its green and white glory. Thank you.
Alexandra Hopkins is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the views expressed in this column do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Alexandra? Email her at ah875121@ohio.edu.
