By Elise Lowe, a criminology and human services double major
During my senior year of high school, if somebody were to tell me that I would be graduating college in three years, I probably would have looked at them and thought they were crazy. I had no clue where my life was headed when I chose to come to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC). What caught my interest of SMWC was being given the opportunity to play volleyball. On my first visit, I instantly fell in love with the campus and the comforting feeling it provided. Through the years, I have been blessed to build relationships with many people through school activities, classes and athletics. I have been blessed to build a network and create memories that I will cherish forever.
Graduating in three years was not something I had necessarily prepared for. I thought being a double major that was almost impossible, but it turns out many of my credits overlapped. I realized in the fall of 2024 that it was possible to graduate in 2025, so it was kind of last minute. I am excited to graduate, begin my life and start a career early, but I also feel a bit of sadness and nervousness that come along with it. I am nervous to find a job and enjoy it while also being successful and efficient with my work. I am sad because I thought I was going to have one more year to play volleyball, cheer, and make memories with the people that I have built relationships with. Despite these bittersweet feelings, I am beyond grateful for this opportunity.
While at SMWC, I grew as an athlete, a student, strengthened my faith and most importantly, I grew as a person. A quote from Saint Mother Theodore Guerin that really speaks to me is “Profit by the experiences of the past for the future.” I think this a great quote because everything I have learned from in the classroom to just growing as a person, I will use as I begin my adult life and enter the workforce. I believe a person grows by choosing to look at their past and learn from it.
The relationships I have built while at SMWC are with people I want to continue to stay connected with my whole life. I hope to be able to return a few times next year to connect with my friends that I started my freshman year with. I cannot wait to come back for Reunion, Homecoming and alumni events to catch up with people I look forward to watching the College grow and celebrate our successes together. I hope my classmates stay connected with the College no matter where life takes them. We are a family here and we will celebrate the good, but we are also here to pick you up during the bad. I want to thank the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College community for giving me the best three years of college experience I could have.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Elise Lowe is a senior at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC), majoring in human services and criminology. She is from Vincennes, Indiana and is a lifelong catholic. She chose to come to The Woods because she was compelled by the catholic background of the campus, along with her love to continue playing volleyball. She is a member of the SMWC Women’s Volleyball team and also a member of the SMWC Cheer team. After graduating, Elise plans to continue her education and get her master’s degree in social work. In her free time, Elise is either hanging out with her friends or family, or she is engaging in some sort of physical activity.
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