As I look back on the past four years of my life here at Gannon, all I can do is smile to myself.

I have had some of the best times of my life here, and some of the worst. But overall, Gannon has helped me and has given me the experiences that have turned me into the strong woman that I am today.

Coming into Gannon as a freshman, I was insecure of myself within and outside of education. I was insecure of who I would become, nervous to get involved, to get to know my professors and so much more.

But as each year went by, I watched myself grow in different ways. I was able to put myself out there and do things that used to give me anxiety and make me nervous, which is all I wanted when coming to college. It was a fresh start for me.

I was never the best student in high school. I struggled with dedication and motivation toward school, but when I came to Gannon, I knew I wanted to be better than my younger self.

I knew that I wanted to make myself proud by the time that I was graduating, and I can confidently say that I am so proud of myself and who I have become.

Gannon has given me the best professors, experiences and opportunities that have pushed me to be the best me. The people I met and the university itself had confidence in me, even when I didn’t.

Freshman year was scary. You hear all of these crazy stories about how college will be the worst four years of your life and that your professors and staff will be awful, but I have had the complete opposite experience here.

Dr. Julia Mack, Mr. Frank Garland, Mallory Bottoni and so many others have had some of the biggest impacts and are some of the main reasons why I am who I am today.

During my time here, I have also been able to join some amazing clubs and organizations, including The Gannon Knight, interning with the marketing/communication team and being a tour guide and working with Admissions during open house.

I also had the opportunity to intern with the president judge in the Erie County Courthouse. During my time there, I was able to sit in during different hearings and trials, including juvenile, civil, death penalty, domestics, and so much more. I was able to sit with my main adviser, but also got to visit different courtrooms with different judges.

While I worked and put time and effort into each of these opportunities, I also met some of the most amazing people who changed my life for the better.

I truly think that if I did not do any of the things I did while at Gannon, my life would be different today. I learned life lessons that I will carry with me, along with a deeper education outside of the classroom.

I expanded my writing skills, learned more about the law, and learned how to properly communicate and work within marketing. All of these experiences would not have been possible if I did not come to Gannon, and who knows what my life would be like if I did not choose Gannon.

This is not me trying to get prospective students and high schoolers to find this and to think, “Oh, this girl is really trying to sell Gannon.”

I am being honest and vulnerable about my experiences here, and I would not have changed any of it for the world.

Thank you so much, Gannon, for allowing these past four years to be extremely unforgettable. I am grateful for all that I have learned and gained during my time here.

CHLOE PALMIERE

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