As I sit by the window writing this column, I'm watching the April showers do their best to bring about May flowers. I can't believe April is slowly winding down to the last days of classes and a dreaded week of exams. The horses have raced, final presentations have been made and fall classes are full on ISIS.
It's difficult to leave Charlottesville this semestr, knowing I'll return in the fall for my last year at Mr. Jefferson's University. It feels like just yesterday that I stood in front of the Rotunda on my admissions tour, and now I'll be walking down that same Lawn for graduation a year from now.
I know when I return in August, many elements of U.Va. life will remain the same. We'll still grab Little John's or Take-It-Away as we pack the Amphitheater for Tom DeLuca. We'll still watch the first years wander aimlessly around Cabell Hall, trying to find their section of Spanish 101. We'll try to make it out to Chris Green Lake just one time before the cooler weather rolls in.
And while I look forward to the football games and the bonfires at Monfair, I can't help but think how empty these events will feel without our friends in the Class of 2003.
Graduation is always a bittersweet occasion because it means celebrating a wonderful four years at a wonderful school, but it also means saying goodbye to people who have made those years so wonderful for you.
Of all those proud graduates walking down the Lawn on May 18, there is one who holds a special place in my heart and in my life. This person has many notable accomplishments from her time at Virginia, but I respect her for her character above all else.
By telling the story of our friendship, I think I'll highlight (or highlyte) the type of person that makes U.Va. one of the friendliest campuses I've ever visited. It's this type of person who embodies every quality a student at Virginia should strive to represent.
I met Allison Klos during the spring of my first year.Having just pledged a sorority, I was a bit overwhelmed with the prospect of having 100 new "sisters."
Alli went out of her way to make me feel welcomed and wanted, and she made a very large group feel much smaller to me. When Big Sister Week rolled around, I hoped that all my goodies and fun adventures were courtesy of her.
And they were.
I'm sure that each of us can think of someone who helped us make a smooth transition into college. Whether it was an older classmate or a fellow athlete, having someone look out for you is greatly appreciated during that first year away from home.
Both being out-of-staters, Alli and I could sympathize with some of the anxiety and apprehension that comes with going hundreds of miles away to school. When everyone packed up for Easter weekend my first year, I was left feeling alone and lonely in my Emmett dorm room.
Alli adopted me for the weekend, bringing me over to her Jack Jouett apartment for a marathon cookie-making session. She opened her home to me and was my "family" when my real family was at home in Florida.
I will never forget how grateful I was for the company that weekend.Just to get out of the dorms was a treat in and of itself. And to be with someone as hospitable and loving as Alli made it a very happy Easter holiday.
We are often so busy and narrowly focused during the school year that it's easy to become absorbed in our own schedules. We are so concerned with our own dilemmas that we don't go out of our way to help other people.
Grace and graciousness are sadly lacking in our society today, and unfortunately our University community is often no exception.
But Alli is the exception to every rule. She has more class and grace in her little finger than many people exhibit over their whole lifetime.
Although Alli came from out west, she is more genteel and gracious than many of the "Southern" women I've met in Virginia.
From her acute fashion sense to her passion for art history, Alli has a love of life and culture that always makes it fun to be around her.
She bought me my first drink on my 21st birthday and is always the first one to come by with a card or beautiful flowers on a special occasion.
Alli celebrates my successes and helps me accept my failures. She supports me through the hard times, and cheers me on through the good. She is everything I imagine having a sister would be.
I'm lucky to have this column to thank Alli today. And though you may not know her or may not know her well, I think it's clear how extraordinary she is.
I haven't said much about Alli's academic achievements or the leadership positions she holds. And while both are numerous and impressive, they don't capture the strength of character that endears her to everyone she knows.
I know that you may not have 150 lines in The Cavalier Daily to thank the person who helped you ease into life at U.Va. But I encourage you to seek out that person and thank them in your own way before they don that cap and gown.
While we are quick to award brilliant scholarship, athletic skill and service to the University, we often overlook the aspects that truly make someone important.
Strength of character and genuine kindness are much more exceptional, and leave longer lasting impressions on those around you.
Alli, I thank you for your generosity and for your compassion. I thank you for leading by example and for serving with grace. You, and those like you, are role models for all the students at Virginia and for all those who will follow in our footsteps.
You make me proud, Big Sister.
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