It’s crazy to think that the spring semester of my senior year of college is finally coming to an end. I always heard about how fast it goes from the people who experienced it before me, but never believed it would ever be my time. The thought of senior year has scared me since my first day as a freshman. I’m terrible with change and never thought I’d be ready to walk across the stage at graduation. While I’m sad to leave all the fun and experiences behind me, I feel more prepared than ever to turn my tassel and start the next chapter of my life. As my last year at Cabrini comes to an end, and graduation day approaches, I’m going to take you with me on a walk down memory lane as I recall some of my favorite Cabrini memories that got me to where I am today.
The Academic Career Exploration (ACE) Learning Community
When my roommate Brooke and I filled out our roommate surveys before we started freshmen year, we were really just checking all the same boxes to make sure they put us together. We had no idea what Learning Communities were. We thought we had to choose one (we really didn’t), so we randomly picked one off the list and hoped for the best. The random choosing of the ACE LLC was one of the best things I could have done for myself. I made my first Cabrini friends, connected with amazing professors, and realized what was important to me when choosing a career path. The most important skill I took away from ACE is how to respect the opinions of others. I am very headstrong and used to have a hard time seeing eye-to-eye with people that don’t agree with me. In my ACE LLC ECG 100 class, "When Good People Revolt," I learned that having the same opinion as someone isn’t as important as listening to them, understanding them, and valuing their perspective on the topic at hand.
Meeting my best friend
Everyone always told me that the friends I met in college would be the friends I keep for the rest of my life. I didn’t believe them. I have such great friends from high school that I have known my life. How could someone I meet this far down the line even come close to that? I was wrong. When I met Kerrie Habicht (class of ’24), at the Cabrini Theatre virtual cabaret, I had no idea that I would be meeting my twin flame. We were both going through such a rough patch. God must have known we needed each other. Every day since then has been filled with our friendship. Whether I was pumping up my air mattress to sleep on her floor, we were singing in Cabrini's practice rooms, driving around listening to music, drinking iced coffee from Starbucks, or walking around TJ Maxx, Kerrie and I were making memories. She’s like my sister. She really helps me bring out the best version of myself. I don’t think I could ever repay Cabrini for giving me my best friend for life. My college experience wouldn’t have been the same without her.
Interning in the Cabrini Marketing Department
My senior year started with a bang as I started my internship with Emily Rowan in the marketing department. I had never had hands-on marketing experience before so I was a little nervous but hopeful that this opportunity would give me a better idea of what I wanted to do with my degree after graduation. Thanks to the guidance of Emily and the rest of the Cabrini marketing team, I have developed a new marketing skillset and have made connections that helped me land a job at a marketing firm after graduation. Without my marketing classes and the Cabrini connections, none of that would have been possible.
And finally, the Cabrini Theatre
I’m sure this one comes as no surprise. Being a part of the Cabrini Theatre was my favorite part of my time at Cabrini. The laughs, late nights in the theatre, and butterflies in my stomach as the house lights go down are some of the things I am going to miss most about Cabrini. Not only did Cabrini Theatre re-ignite my love for performing that I thought I had lost; it brought me great friends, helped me expand my performing skillset, forced me out of my comfort zone, and served as a constant reminder that theatre is something I want to keep in my life forever. Besides fostering my growth as a performer, the Cabrini Theatre helped me grow as a person. High school Piper would never believe you if you told her about everything she accomplished on the Cabrini stage. It’s amazing what having a little faith in yourself, and your abilities can do.
I could go on for hours about how much Cabrini means to me and how thankful I am for all of the amazing opportunities and friendships I developed along the way. I would choose Cabrini 100 times over again if I could. Good luck to the Class of 2024 and the rest of the Cabrini students. Appreciate every second you have left and allow all of it to help you grow into the most authentic version of yourself.