A note to my closest friends..

At Casino Night from the top: Nada, Vanessa, Whitney, Audra, myself

With Claire and Angie during Pumpkin Parade, sans Nada

Whitney and I out to dinner last fall

Vanessa and I, fall 2008

Senior Dinner Dance, with Melanie

It is so hard to believe that Sunday is graduation. I don't think it will set in until I see my next door neighbor (who has been my neighbor for three years of college!) moving her things into her families cars.

I keep trying to write letters to my closest friends and I just keep failing to express what I want to say. How do you thank four women who remained your closest friends and allies through three years at a woman's college, one year of turmoil with men on campus, a year abroad where we couldn't gather in someone's room and chat all night?

The women that are my closest friends were, by chance, placed on the same freshman dorm hall as myself. Nada was my roommate, Vanessa lived next door, Whitney lived across the hall, and Audra at the end of the hall. We instantly clicked and we have been great friends ever since. We come from very diverse backgrounds, which makes in-class learning at RMWC carry over to out of class learning.

While many friendships on campus change over the years, the five of us have remained extremely close no matter what obstacle. These were the girls who protested silently with me outside the administrative offices in 2005 when the University of Reading program was canceled. These are the girls that stood with me on the lawn during numerous fire drills. These are the girls who have sat through far more pageants than they should have just to support me.

As soon as I came back from Reading, I wondered if it would be difficult to go back to our friendship, but it was like I had never left. Nada had gotten me a wonderful room in a corner of the hall next to Vanessa and herself, and I feel so lucky that now all five of us are on the same side of one senior hall floor. I feel very blessed that my roommate from first year and I are the best of friends.

Two of us are remaining in Virginia, but the other three are returning to their home states to pursue other things. I have no doubt that we will remain close, but I am dreading those moments as I watch those friends pack things into their cars.


These women have sat outside main hall when the coed decision was announced, they have stayed up late with myself and others and we made "not for sale" signs for all the students after our artwork was taken to be sold at auction. They exemplify the benefits of a liberal arts education, and each one is every bit a Randolph Macon Woman.


I'm going to miss you all so much. Thank you for such an incredible four years of college. Coming here was one of the best decisions I ever made.