With graduation right around the corner, I’ve realized that a lot of my friends are graduating and leaving. It’s such a bittersweet feeling, especially as a junior, to see some of my best friends leaving and going to college and starting their lives.

It’s a sweet feeling because you feel like a proud parent and your child is becoming a grownup, but bitter, also, because of how much you’re going to miss them. And you have to get used to not seeing them all the time like you have for the past three years or so.

With all of them leaving, I’ve also realized how close our junior class is to graduating, and, of course, I’m beyond scared about leaving. But, hopefully, I’m able to look to my friends who are graduating and have them tell me it’s going to be okay (even if they also have no idea).

So to my friends that are leaving and turning their backs on Keller in August: I’m happy for you, and I hope that your time in college is nothing less than great. Please don’t forget about your junior friends; we’re right behind you. We’ve just got to wait a little while longer.