Educated Hearts

Epilogue                 

The Salem University Gazette - End of the Year Issue
May - 2003

A Study of the First Year
by Mimi Lockhart, Class of 2006

People are always telling me: The first year of college is the first year of the rest of your life. It is the year that will change you forever. I cannot disagree. The past nine months has certainly changed my own life dramatically. However, this isn't just my story. This is the story of the hundreds of other freshman who walked on to this campus in the fall of 2002 and had their lives forever changed.

Some people our age seem to have known exactly what they were meant to be from a young age, their entire lives planned out since they were old enough to hold a pencil. Then there are the rest of us. The ones who have to wait for our future to find us, instead of seeking it out ourselves.

The first year of college is when the people like me find out who they are. It isn't just an education of the mind; it's an education in life, love, friendship, rejection, heartbreak, successes, failures and most of all self. If you didn't know who you were before you walked on to this campus, you surely will by the end of your first year here.

I asked the people closest to me what they learned over the past year, and got an eclectic mix of responses. My roommate, who spent her first winter away from the warmth of San Diego this year, told me that she learned why the birds fly south for the winter. Another friend told me that he learned how to go after something he wanted, even if meant being rejected, because the rewards are always worth the risks.

My boyfriend, a man who I have known since I was in kindergarten, but never truly understood until I came to college, told me something else entirely. He told me that he learned the politics of high school popularity mean nothing in the real world, where your spirit means far more than what sports team you play on or being the Prom Queen. He said that the rich and the beautiful will always be rich and beautiful, barring accidental scarring or the crash of the stock market, of course. However, the people who are truly rich and beautiful are those who have meaning and purpose in their lives. Those that know about love because they have shared it with someone and touched the life of another.

Perhaps, I should have allowed him to write my article for me. Because, truly, no one person I have met has had their life changed more than he has. Of course, my editor didn't want his story, she wanted mine.

My story is simple, and probably quite similar to the stories of many of my fellow students. So, let me tell you what I have learned in my first year of college:

I learned that the person you are, the person you were always meant to become, has been waiting inside you since the day you were born. It is only how you perceive yourself that shapes your teenage years, and keeps the true you hidden from the world.

I learned that the only person whose opinion matters is your own. Be not what people think of you, be whatever you know you can be.

I learned that when you're not looking for love, it finds you, and usually in the most unexpected places.

I learned that the word 'family' doesn't always have to do with DNA. A family is what you create in your heart from the love you share with kindred spirits.

I learned that if you believe in yourself, you can achieve your goals, whether they be big or small.

I learned that the people who feel that they aren't special or important, are usually the ones who have the most to offer.

I learned that fate does exist. It exists to bring us to a place where we are loved, understood, and put on the path towards our future.

If by chance, you are reading this, and haven't discovered the same things and much more this year -- there is always next year. Nine months of college and I barely recognize the person I used to be, but I know that deep down, the person I am now was always there, waiting beneath the surface. If this is what the first year of college gave me, I can only imagine what I will be writing about in three more years.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jason folded down the edge of the paper and smiled widely. His green eyes found Mimi's anxious gaze and he wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Mimi... That was beautiful."

"I -- I'm not used to writing like that. I've written regular newspaper articles, but never something about myself, not like that... Was it really okay?"

Jason let go of her and gave her a sweet kiss on the lips. "It was perfect... Dare I even say brilliant?"

Mimi smiled proudly and giggled. "Well... You can say it if you want. But, I think brilliant is going too far..."

"I'm no expert... But, I'm really impressed... And really proud of you."

"Thank you... I -- I was thinking of becoming a Journalism major. I really forgot how much I enjoyed working on a newspaper staff. I think it's definitely something I could do for the rest of my life."

Jason's eyes widened with surprise and he gave her another kiss. "That is a great idea. You are going to be the best reporter that the world has ever seen, Mimi Lockhart."

Mimi laughed and grabbed his hand dragging him across the campus towards their dorm building. "I don't know about that... But, thank you anyway."

"Well, I do know...The Spectator, The New York Times, Newsweek, Time Magazine, whoever you want to work for... You can do it."

"You really know how to pump up a girl's ego, that's for sure..."

They came upon the parking lot outside their building and ran into Rory and Nick who were loading up Nick's car for his three-hour drive to Chicago. Rory propped herself up on the hood and grinned as Mimi and Jason approached.

"Hey guys... Mimi, I read your article. Great job... I hope you plan on pursuing this whole journalism thing more next year."

Mimi smiled happily and nodded. "I do... I was just telling Jason that I've decided to be a journalism major."

Nick shoved a box into the back seat and turned to address Mimi. "Good, Mimi... You've got a real talent for it."

"Thank you, Nick... Thank you, Rory... So are you guys all ready for your trips home?"

"Unfortunately, yes... Only a few more hours and I'll be on the road, and Rory will be on her plane."

Jason frowned and shoved his hands in his pocket. "I didn't think I'd be this depressed when you guys left... But, it's going to be pretty different without the two of you around this summer."

Rory grinned at him and shrugged. "Don't worry, Jase. We'll call you every day, and write letters and send postcards, and... Don't cry. I know it's hard. But don't. No tears, please."

"Don't worry, I wasn't planning on crying."

Mimi pouted like a little girl and frowned at Rory. "But, I might... I'm gonna miss you SO much, Ror. And you too, Nick. Having the two of you here this year really made it the greatest time of my life."

Rory hopped off the hood of Nick's car and wrapped her arms around Mimi, in an uncharacteristic moment of sincerity. "I can definitely say the same for you... You know I love you more than chocolate, Mimi Lockhart."

Mimi laughed and nodded as they let go of each other. "Thank you, Rory... I love you too. Hey, there is time for us to all go out for one last dinner at the pub, right?"

Nick checked his watch and nodded in agreement. "Of course... We can definitely fit that in the schedule."

Mimi motioned towards the building and replied. "Oh good... I'm gonna go throw my backpack down upstairs and I'll be right back."

Mimi ran into the building and upstairs to her second floor room. She threw her backpack down and looked around the room. All of her stuff was in boxes on the bed, ready to be taken back home where she would spend the summer with her parents. She stood at the window and watched Jason, Rory and Nick chatting outside for a moment. Everything was just as it should be, and it had all happened in a way that she never imagined possible.

She sighed blissfully and ran back downstairs to rejoin the group. They decided to take Jason's car, since Nick's was filled with boxes, but Mimi made Jason pause for a moment before getting into his car.

She grabbed his hands and smiled at him, pure contentment shining from her green eyes. "Am I crazy or is everything just perfect?"

Jason paused to think about it and then smiled back at her. "Everything is perfect. Everything."

He leaned and gave her a brief kiss on the lips, resting his hand on her cheek when he broke off from her. "I love you, Mimi... And, thank you for being everything that you are."

"I love you too, Jason. And, thank you for helping me find everything that I am..."

Jason nodded and let go of her so she could walk around the car and get into the passenger seat. Mimi sighed softly before opening the car door and thought about everything she had learned. She imagined in her heart that it was the only the beginning, and the next few years of her life would only bring more of an education to all of them. Mimi smiled to herself at the thought of the future. She couldn't wait for it to begin.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

My article written by Mimi was supposed to be REALLY good, but if it's not, just pretend that it is. LOL.

Well, that's officially the end. It was definitely fun and challenging to write, and I loved every minute of it. Hope you all enjoyed it even half as much as I did. PLEASE read the author's notes for specific thank you's and notes.

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