Dear Marita,

It’s officially been four years of NYU. Four years of living in four different neighborhoods of New York City. From your freshman year floormates that became your family away from home, to the sleepless nights at the newspaper, you have had an unforgettable experience. It’s bound to happen when you choose to go to school in downtown Manhattan.

Born and raised in Athens, Greece, you grew up with a very different lifestyle — and yet, I don’t think you ever felt out of place in New York. That’s part of the magic of this city. Everyone fits in no matter who they are, no matter where they come from. I still remember the first day you arrived in the city. You were only carrying one suitcase and your backpack, and you had a huge smile on your face. You were ready to take on the world.

So much has changed since that day, but what’s still the same four years later is that you are about to start another new beginning. But this time, you don’t have things planned out. You don’t have timelines. You don’t know if you’ll be staying in the city, or even the country. You don’t have a job lined up and this is definitely scary for you. But that’s okay. We are all allowed to feel scared — it’s part of the game.

Yet, one of the most important things you learned at this school is not to let this fear hold you back from dreaming big and crafting the life you want for yourself. The job search may be daunting — especially when you are an international student — combined with your finals and thesis presentations, but you will never be in a more exciting place in life. You are only 21, and this lack of stability means that you can steer your life in any direction you want. Living in the city, you have experienced first-hand that if you dream it, you can do it. Over these four years you have accomplished far more than you had ever imagined when you arrived from Greece. You set your foot into TV journalism, a field that had always amazed you since you were a little child. You met so many different people who still inspire you today. And while there are many things you can say about this university, I don’t think you would find a more unique student body anywhere in the world.

Among these 26,000 undergraduates are some of the people that changed your life — your daily inspirations, the people that have watched you grow and supported you through everything. Without them, you would not be half the person you are today and you will always be grateful for that.

Last, no matter what comes next, do not forget to have an open mind and heart and never settle for less. This is only the beginning, and as cliche as it may sound, better things are just around the corner.

Love,

Your Senior Self