Sundays with Margo: Thank You Notes to My Freshman Year, Nicole Sancilio and Ashley Justiniano

Freshman year of college is always memorable. In the second part of this series, watch how two girls say goodbye and thank you to their first year of college. 

Nicole Sancilio 

School: Sargent College of Public Health

Her Thank You Note

“It sounds crazy, but I want to thank my freshman year for all the bad things that happened during it -- for every time I cried, for all the sleepless nights, for the entire month that I was sick and for every time I failed. In high school I thought my “failures” were severe, but this is the year I truly learned how to fall down and get back up, even when it’s the last thing I wanted to do. Going through all my rough patches made me reflect and admit things to myself that I’ve been internalizing over the years, and it also made me reflect on the magnitude of what I consider to be a “failure.” I’ve learned to accept the bad grades I received this year because they led me to figure out my passion, something that’s been weighing on my mental health since the whole college process began. I’ve learned which organizational tactics will keep me on schedule and which will just make me distracted. I’ve accepted that not everyone will like me (and that sometimes I’ll be awkward) because I’ve been able to meet the most amazing people who love me for who I am and who support me in ways I didn’t think possible. All of my “failures” from this year were not only lessons in independence; they also made me appreciate every good thing that happened. I’m going into sophomore year stronger and more focused than I’ve ever been, and it’s all because I finally learned how to stand back up without a helping hand.” 

Ashley Justiniano 

School: College of Communications

Her Thank You Note

“What I'll miss the most is all of the new things that I've learned while adjusting to the college experience. Adjusting was both a fun and tough endeavor for me. I was able to meet a lot of amazing friends and learn a lot about the new city that I was starting the next chapter of my life in, which was so exciting! However, I also had to learn how to be independent in an entirely new way now that I was really on my own. I'd definitely like to thank my freshman year self for being so open-minded and willing to try new things. Going into something completely new can be scary, and sometimes I felt so overwhelmed that I wanted to close myself in. However, I pushed through and was able to make the best of my freshman year. Looking back, I know I'll definitely miss it.”