4th Year letter - Class of 2026

Photography by Cat White

Our 4th years are getting ready to graduate, and we wanted to give them a chance to share some final thoughts with the UVA community before they leave.

Katie C., President

If you’re reading this, the best way is your way.

When I think back on my time at UVA, something that has been very pervasive in my experience and that of the people close to me is the feeling of pressure that you need to be doing things a certain way. At UVA, that usually means taking on the most you can possibly manage and doing everything perfectly. It seems like everyone else is constantly able to juggle a million extracurriculars and difficult classes while also maintaining a picture-perfect social life. Know that group is a loud minority, presenting a small part of their life, or not being completely honest. Whichever it is, realize that their life has nothing to do with yours. 

You are the only person who knows what’s best for you. As difficult as it may be not to give in to the pressure from parents, peers, or your own worries, you deserve to feel proud of yourself just for being. You’re a student at one of the best schools in the country! You have everything you need to be successful within you, and someone else’s success does not change that. My advice is to try to enjoy the process. Some days will still feel hard, you will face challenges, and you will fail at things–great, that’s how you grow. There are an infinite number of ways to be successful; choose the one that feels authentic to you and pursue it in the way only you can. I believe in you. 

You’ve got this!

Cindy T., Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

If you’re reading this, be unapologetically yourself.

Coming to UVA, I already had that feeling like I didn’t quite belong. Being a transfer student from NOVA Community College, I felt different because of the way I chose to start college. Sometimes it felt harder to connect to others, especially if we had differences in age or life experiences. Not only was I a transfer student, but I also identified as a First Generation Low Income College Student, a Vietnamese American, a woman, a religious minority, and maybe even more? In the beginning, I had a strong feeling like I had to conform and compromise myself for others to find me more palatable; to “catch up,” to do it all before it’s too late. 

However, after the end of my first year, I just couldn’t do it anymore. All the stress, pressure, and expectations, the weight of it all finally crushed me. That summer, I was left to reflect on my conflicting feelings, why things happened the way they did, and how I could improve. This is when I finally said, “Freak it, we ball,” and decided to choose myself, no matter how others may look at me. 

Since then, I’ve done (and not done) so many things that make leaving this place I have called home for the past 3 years a little bittersweet (like uplifting mental health stories of DEI students at UVA with IYRT- teehee). I was challenged to become even more resilient, more confident, and more me, me. I learned when to hold on to something, and when to let go. What I really value over what would be nice to have. How to live like it’s your last vs how to live in the present moment. 

To you reading this, this is my piece of advice. I hope you do the thing you always wanted to do but were too afraid to start out of fear. I hope that you finally talk to the person that you always thought was cool, but was too shy to. I urge you to try to get closer to the best version of yourself that you have always wanted to be, and that you will also leave UVA feeling sentimental that it happened.

Natasjha S., Letter Collection Committee Member

If you’re reading this, know that you’re amazing!

When I first got to UVA, I did not see many people who looked like me. A Black girl who was way in over her head, not knowing what it took to be a UVA student. I slowly started to become myself during my second year, as I branched out and gained more friends. But I still felt so alone and afraid to reach out for help. It was only after I realized that I have the immense capability to be a great person that I reached my full potential and unleashed my identity for the world to see! 

I started being myself more, telling my corny jokes and expressing my silly humor, spreading kindness wherever I go. Flashing a smile at anyone I crossed paths with to let them know that I’m always there for them. It’s so easy to be a kind and decent person, so why practice it all of the time! Be who you truly are and don’t ever try to imitate anyone else. You were made perfectly and don’t need to change on account of any trends or what society tends to depict as who they want people to be.

To the amazing person reading this, know that your light shines so brightly and that you are seen for who you are! Please continue living your life, knowing that you are everything and more than you are supposed to be! Keep doing things your way, you’re amazing just as you are!

IYRT Class of 2026, University of Virginia

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