Loving USD means letting it go

  There is something specific about loving a home that you know will be temporary. Every year, approximately 2,000 students graduate from USD. This year, I am one of them. Over the past four years, I have grown to love USD and make it my home, even knowing my time here would be short.

     Upon reflecting on my time at USD, I began to think about what makes this college so special. Vermillion is undoubtedly a “small town,” and that lends a unique quality to our community. No matter where you go, you are likely to see someone you know. That familiarity makes Vermillion feel like home, and the same is true on USD’s campus. 

     Not only do you recognize people wherever you go, but over time, those people become your community. Professors recognize students in the halls, classmates turn into familiar faces you nod to between buildings and staff members greet you with kindness that goes beyond obligation. Gradually, campus stops feeling like a collection of classrooms and offices and instead becomes a place where people feel known.

     Loving USD also means understanding its temporary nature. College is designed to be a chapter rather than a permanent home, yet students fully invest in the experience anyway. Knowing that time here is limited makes each day and interaction more meaningful. 

     Letting go of USD does not diminish its value. The lessons learned, relationships formed and sense of community experienced here continue to shape students long after they leave Vermillion.

     USD will remain a place of growth and connection for future students, just as it has been for those graduating now. In that way, loving USD ultimately means carrying its influence forward, even after it is time to leave.