As I’ve settled into my senior year on Mount St. James, I’ve found myself constantly comparing the transformative experiences I had last year abroad with this semester’s new beginnings. It seems just yesterday I was reflecting on similar musings as I strolled along the Tiber River in its full autumn glory, only now I’m hurrying to my various classes and clubs on the Hill as the air begins to chill and the leaves show their first signs of changing color.
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Mary and I am a Classics major extremely excited about spending my first full year on campus. I am a member of the Manuscripts, Inscriptions, and Documents Club, the Classics Student Advisory Committee, the Society of Saints Peter and Paul, and the Goodtime Marching Band. As if those weren’t enough commitments, I’m also a Study Abroad Ambassador, a member of Alpha Sigma Nu and I’m writing a thesis as a member of the Honors Program!
It’s been both amazing and a bit overwhelming to slowly figure out my place on campus as a “not-so-senior.” I find myself missing the familiarity and confidence I built in Rome, but I also know that I am more than equipped with the skills to make the most out of my final year (especially since I won’t be doing it with rudimentary Italian!).
While my everyday life in Worcester may not be as exciting as it was in Rome, I sincerely look forward to sharing it all with you. To quote Aristotle in his Historia Animalium, ἀεὶ Λιβύη φέρει τι καινόν: “Libya always bears something new.” There are so many new places to explore and experiences to have here at Holy Cross, and I can’t wait to discover them as I go!
