I actually grew up in an Aggie household. Not that my mom went to A&M — but my dad did (he actually had some leadership position associated with the bonfire, which led to his favorite green helmet), and my mom didn’t really derive her identity from her college. Nonetheless, I remember checking out colleges for the first time; UT seemed beneath me at the time (I was far more cocky in high school than I am now, which really should say something). I heard about BHP and Plan II from a family friend that worked in finance; he seemed to hype up Plan II more. I remember going to info sessions for BHP and thinking that something seemed off; how could their stats be so high? Wasn’t it just Texas? (Not that stats and average class rank or SAT score are the only thing that matter. But at the time it was what I valued.)

I remember botching the BHP interviewer’s gender — twice. I remember getting the call from Paul while I was walking Sasha around the block, and probably reacting like it wasn’t a big deal. I remember getting rejected from most other places, and I remember choosing UT over Rice just because asking my parents to pay an extra $100k or so didn’t seem right (incredible levels of privilege that I will likely never appreciate, thanks Dad and Mom).

I remember bits of pieces of the first year — the first football game against Notre Dame where I sold my ticket for $120 and lied about being 21 at some random alum’s tailgate to get a singular beer. I remember going to Austin’s Pizza afterwards to celebrate. I remember Leadership Kickoff where I met Collin and walked across a tightrope, and later that night rapped to Bonfire by Childish Gambino. I remember meeting the MISquad and going to South Congress via bus. I remember meeting the Turing kids during a late night in the Quad and doing attention-grabbing things. I remember walking downstairs over to 231 and knocking on the door whenever I felt like hanging out with Molly and Hannah.

I remember breaking into the stadium and stealing a couple of beers from Daddy Fenves. I remember Roundup with Julia. I remember bunking beds with Neil to get some more space, and being a dick about throwing away Greek yogurt cups in the trash can. I remember discovering that EE was hard, which was why I loved it so much; the joys of doing great on exams where you got an 80; the idiocy of thinking that I could do circuits homework while inebriated.

I remember moving off campus with Collin and David, about feeling lonely and somewhat disconnected from my friends that had moved into another apartment building. I remember joining Convergent because they apparently had sick parties, and realizing that no one knew what was going on. I remember teaching options lectures to kids not yet in UCF, and acting a bit like Robinhood in the process.

I remember very little from senior year, though at some point I recall meeting some girl in EE (yes, one of the few) during a lab checkout for Digital Logic Design. I remember grabbing lunch with Madison in the EER as the same girl walked past us, and after Madison left, deciding to just say fuck it. I pulled up a chair and talked with her for an hour or so. I remember COVID starting to be talked about, and Nate and I buying a few extra cans of chili to ride out the wave. I remember mimosas on the EER lawn to celebrate midterms; I remember Rick and Morty and Gumbo nights in 321. I remember a very long road trip with my friends that had just graduated. I remember getting that opportunity because of COVID. I remember the girl’s visit to Austin to pack up her things.

I remember Zoom classes, but I also remember basketball on Fridays and making new friends. I remember another great roommate and learning how to cook. I remember making it official and introducing her to my parents. I remember the procrastination and the joys of writing a thesis as well as the incredible deal I got for my senior design project. I remember being kicked out of my apartment for renovations and eating out Central Market daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

All of this is off the top of my head. There’s more memories too, locked away in photos and videos, waiting to be rediscovered.

College has been five years of truly nothing but the best. I’m lucky to say that — not everyone can. But I feel like I’ve enjoyed every single second of it, and I feel confident that I’ve grown throughout the process. I received a few particularly touching keepsakes (both physical and digital) from a few incredibly thoughtful friends of mine - perhaps it’s Lollipop moments for both of us.

I was walking with my girlfriend the other day after graduation, and I recall telling her about how I’m in the intermezzo. I’ve spent five years with a very clear goal in mind - graduate - and my next big life chapter (working) starts in exactly two months. During that time, I don’t really have the same level of motivation and purpose and order to my life direction that I’ve had for the greater portion of my life so far — and this means that I’ll likely turn to Autopilot to determine how I spend my time. Sure, I’ll likely go to Europe, and likely move back to Houston. I’ll also read and workout and cook and eat and spend time with friends. But choosing who to spend time with - that’s something that requires intentionality behind it.

If you just graduated, then congratulations. Here’s something that I found quite nice to read. Onwards!