So now that the year is starting to come to a close, I am getting a bit nostalgic. It seems like every other day I get teary eyed about the fact that my college years are coming to an end.  (Unless my professors this semester decide to make me stay…then this is going to be an awkward op-ed…please let me graduate.)
 

In all seriousness, I am really going to miss a lot of things about Berry. Probably the biggest thing I am going to miss are the professors, or as I like to call them, my “moms and dads.” It’s funny to me that when you’re little and you accidentally call your teacher “mom” or “dad” it was extremely embarrassing. Now, if I call my professors “mom” or “dad,” it’s considered more of a term of endearment than anything else.  Don’t confuse my terms of endearment as being disrespectful though. We all know that different professors respond to different things. My terms of endearment really only stretch to my professors who I have really bonded with over these past four years, my extended family.
 

The first part of my family comes from the theatre department. Now, the entire faculty there I would consider a parental figure in some form or another. You have the extremely intelligent dad that loves to sit you down and talk to you extensively about different subjects. You have the typical Americana dad that always says hi when he walks by and asks you have your day has been. And of course, you have that parental figure that you always know you can go to for anything. That parental figure that you know you can go to and chat about life with on a personal level, but you also respect them so much as an older figure.

There is always that mom though. The one who has taught you everything you know. The one that can make you stop acting out with one look and the one that can make hilarious “mom jokes” that can have you in stitches all afternoon. These are the people that I will look back on and cherish those brief years I had with them.
 

The second part of my family comes from the biggest part of my college career: my major. Now, this is where calling professors “dad” has really come into play. Some of them I would never even dream of calling them “mom” or “dad,” such as the most intelligent woman I have ever met in my life, but they are still parental figures in my mind. I really wouldn’t be the person I am today without these people.

So here’s to the “dads” that helped me find my passions in life and helped me pursue them to the fullest. The “dad” that taught me that public speaking, even about shows like “Duck Dynasty” can be an enjoyable experience. The “dad” that stays up late with us at The Carrier and brings us entertaining jokes and “Jackson 5” CDs. The “dad” that has put up with my childish antics for years and still seems to like me.

Finally, here’s to my “adopted father.” The man that would let me just come into his office and just complain about life or talk about stuff that inspires me. The man that has also put up with a lot and still seems to care about me despite all my flaws. I don’t know what my college career would have been like without him and I am beyond happy that our paths got to cross.

These are the people that I am very sad to leave behind as I make my way towards “the real world.” There will always be other parental figures, but these are the “moms” and “dads” that will be on my mind and in my heart for the rest of my life. Thanks mom and dad!