Alexandra H.

If you’re reading this, may you always feel at home.

Liminal periods in our lives can make it difficult to define “home.” But home is ever-present. Home surrounds you in every step you take, at every hour of your day, and through every face you encounter.

Home is the people who smile at you. The friends who walk beside you. The family that supports you, even from miles away. The strangers who become neighbors, and the neighbors who become friends. The people you laugh with, cry with, and grow with. Home is even the people who challenge you, teach you, and push you to be better.

Freshmen, you have found a new home. It is not easy to step into a new town, state, or country and call it home, but here you are, doing just that. Seek out those faces that will guide you, protect you, and celebrate with you–for you have four years to build connections that will sustain you, and in turn, you can be a home for others.

Seniors, as you move toward the next chapter of your life, leave your current home with gratitude. Cherish the people who shaped you here–the ones who supported you through failures and cheered you with triumphs.

Sophomores and juniors, continue to nurture your home. Seek out the people who make you feel seen, heard, and valued. If you feel disconnected, take the steps to find your people. A strong home is built through relationships, care, and shared experiences.

For me, my home is Clemson, South Carolina. My home is my family, who live ten minutes from campus. My home is my apartment, where I live with three friends who make me laugh every day. My home is the college town that has raised me from a curious five-year-old to the person I am today. Even after leaving this home, I know it will continue to shape me through the people I love and the memories we share.

My home is the songs we’ve shared, the hikes we’ve taken, the restaurants we’ve tried, and the roads we’ve driven. My home is the texts, calls, and memories that remind me I am loved and remembered.

Our home is everyone who has stood up for us, who has sacrificed for us, and who keeps us in their thoughts. Home is the people who make us feel safe, valued, and connected.

And you are home to those around you, too. You have the power to create a safe space for others, just as they have done for you. Smile at a neighbor. Stand up for your community. Fill a need for someone else. May you always feel at home, and may you always make others feel at home.

Because in the end, home is not a place–it is the people who surround you.

Alexandra H., Clemson University

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