Hanover, Hail to Thee

Yesterday, I walked across the stage in front of my class, friends, family, and faculty and received my Bachelor of Arts from Hanover College. Now that all of the excitement has calmed down, I want to share with you my journey at Hanover.

Flashing back four years, I drove onto campus unbelievably nervous. As we parked the car on Donner lawn, all of my fears went away and I was overcome with excitement. At that moment, I knew Hanover was exactly where I needed to be. Moving through freshman year, I made some lifelong friends thanks to my Great Works class/PA group, hall mates, and fellow choir members. As a freshman, my biggest worries were trying to learn French after taking years of Spanish in high school, scheduling classes to get my LADRs covered, and trying every milkshake flavor at Hinkles.

(Notice the lanyard in the photo. Total freshman move)

As sophomore year came along, I decided to design my own major. I’m so glad Hanover allowed me to design a Neuroscience major and shape my education around my biggest love in the world, the brain. However, I wasn’t completely sure what I had gotten myself into. Classes got harder, the days got shorter, and life seemed a little less manageable. Thankfully, my amazing friends were there to tackle it with me. We went to Savannah on Spring Break, Gatlinburg for a quick day trip, and Taco Bell for many late night cravings. As a sophomore, my biggest worries were taking a class that required a camping trip, scheduling classes to get my LADRs covered, and coming to terms with the How I Met Your Mother finale.

Junior year started with an uphill battle. Over the summer, I’d lost one of my best friends and future roommate to a car accident. I started the year with two friends in Belgium, one friend transitioning into a new school, and no roommate. Despite the distances from these friends, we still managed to remain close and I’m so grateful for that. As I think back to junior year, a lot of emotions arise. I think back to the people that reached out to me even though they never had to. One friend decided one day to sit with me at lunch when I was alone and ended up turning into a daily lunch buddy. One friendship grew substantially thanks to her listening abilities, great hugs, and convenient location down the hall. One classmate decided to reach out and pull me out of my room one day and is now one of my best friends. One unexpected friend talked to me nearly every day and was there any time I needed someone. One professor emailed me at just the right times saying that I should stop by for life chats when I had time. One new professor dealt with me walking into her office in a panic saying things like “I need you to tell me I’m going to get into grad school.” All of these instances and many more make me so thankful that Hanover was the place I chose to call home. I truly don’t believe that I would have found such caring friends and professors at any other school. These relationships will last a lifetime. As a junior, my biggest worries were finding myself, scheduling classes to get my LADRs covered, and dealing with noisy neighbors.

Senior year was insane to say the absolute least. I moved into an apartment with three of the funniest,

craziest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. My 17 major classes were finally complete. I spent hours upon hours running my senior thesis. I presented my thesis at the Butler Undergraduate Research Conference. I traveled a handful of times with the choir. I grew even closer to friends and professors. At the end, I walked away with a $20 bill from turning in my gown and a piece of paper worth $160,000. As a senior, my biggest worries were getting into graduate school, scheduling classes to get my LADRs covered, and dealing with the ghostie that haunted our apartment.

Although these few paragraphs will never truly explain how I feel about my time at Hanover College, I hope it gives you a sense of what the school means to me. I made lifelong friends that I wouldn’t

trade for the world. I received loads of life advice from professors, whether they meant to or not. There were “Life Lessons from Dr. B,” where choir rehearsal would stop for 5-10 minutes while Dr. B shared a piece of life advice. Many other professors did the same. As I’m sure you noticed, a common trend throughout the years was getting those college requirements covered. I love my little Liberal Arts school, but good Lord, those LADRs can get you if you don’t do them early.

President Lambert said something during Commencement that keeps running through my head. He said something along the lines of “I hope you fell in love at Hanover. I hope you fell in love with the cell, the neuron, history, philosophy, art, wherever your vocation led you.” And, you know what, I did fall in love. I fell in love with that tiny college overlooking the Ohio River. I fell in love with the amazing friends I made along the way. I fell in love with the neuron and the brain. I fell in love with the Alma Mater and Irish Blessing. I fell in love with the memories. I’m so thankful for Hanover College and everything it has done for me.

I cannot wait to return as an alumni and see what all the school is doing for others. For now, though, I must move forward for my next journey in life. The University of Indianapolis has some large shoes to fill, but I can’t wait to find my place there too. Thank you all for going on this journey with me.

Smile always,

e.

"Hanover, Hail to Thee"