The Emory Wheel
Graduation Magazine
Emory University Class of 2022
Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 Commencement Speaker 2 22 Defining Stories 7 Taking Five: Fifth Year Athlete Reflections 9 Wheel Senior Surveys 12 Crossword 13 Emory Arts 15 Alumni Advice to Graduates 17 Senior Reflections
The Emory Wheel
Emory’s only independent student newspaper www.emorywheel.com Cover and back photos: Ally Hom Magazine produced by Mileen Meyer, Brammhi Balarajan, Sophia Ling, Matthew Chupack, Hunter Collins and Ally Hom
Tyler Perry to Deliver 2022 Commencement Address
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rolific director, producer, actor and screenwriter Tyler Perry will deliver the keynote address at Emory University’s 177th Commencement ceremony and receive an honorary doctor of letters degree on May 9. Perry is acclaimed for the 20 stage plays, 17 feature films and seven television shows he has developed, most notably the television series “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne.” Additionally, he is wellknown for creating and portraying the character Madea, a tough elderly woman. In 2015, Perry acquired the 330-acre former military base Fort McPherson in Atlanta and converted it into the Tyler Perry Studios. Since then, it has become one of the largest film studios in the nation and the first major motion picture production facility to be exclusively owned by a Black person. Nsenga K. Burton, co-director of Emory’s Film and Media Management concentration, noted in an April 18 email to the Wheel that Perry’s studio helped revitalize the Atlanta film scene and attract investors. “Granting Perry this significant honor demonstrates Emory’s acknowledgement of the significant contribution Tyler Perry Studios has made to the film and televisual landscape and confirms Atlanta’s status as Hollywood South,” Burton wrote. Perry has received several accolades for his humanitarian work in recent years, both personally and through the Perry Foundation, which has developed a significant number of Atlanta-based proj-
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By Eva RoytBuRg, NEws EditoR
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
ects to uplift the economically disadvantaged. Perry has a history of covering the expenses of rent, college education and funerals for those in need. In 2020, Perry was honored with the Governor’s Award from the Primetime Emmy Awards and was included in TIME’s list of the 100 most influential people. The following year, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy Awards. “Whether funding scholarships for talented students, covering the grocery bills of elderly Atlanta residents or supporting global disaster relief, [Perry] is renowned for creating opportunities and giving back to his community,” University President Gregory Fenves wrote in a March 1 email to the Emory community. Sally Q. Yates and Louise (Lou) R. Glenn will also receive honorary degrees during the commencement ceremony. Yates, an Atlanta native, was appoint-
ed as the United States Deputy Attorney General by former President Barack Obama in 2015. She served as Acting Attorney General under former President Donald Trump’s administration for 10 days before being dismissed for insubordination on Jan. 30, 2017 after instructing the justice department to not defend Executive Order 13769, known as the “Muslim ban.” This executive order temporarily banned the admission of refugees and barred travel from several Muslim-majority countries. Glenn is a founding trustee of The Wilbur & Hilda Glenn Family Foundation, where she has supported initiatives on cancer treatment. The Glenn Family Breast Center, Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute’s first named center for a specific type of cancer, was established in 2013 through gifts from the foundation. ◊◊◊
Timeline Compiled by Matthew Chupack, Executive Editor
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Taking Five: Fifth Year Athletes Reflect on Extra Year of Eligbility By Claire Fenton, SportS editor
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hen Emory University men’s track and field sprinter Liam Fost received the news in March 2020 that the NCAA was shutting down winter sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he assumed that the hiatus would last no longer than a couple of weeks. As weeks stretched into months, Fost watched the precious final months of his athletic career slip away. It wasn’t until the University Athletic Association (UAA) canceled winter sports for the 2020-2021 season — coincidentally, just two days before the NCAA granted all Division III athletes an additional year of athletic eligibility — that Fost became receptive to the possibility of using his fifth year. “At that point I was like, ‘Okay, what am I going to do next year?’” Fost said. “[I was] realizing I’m dissatisfied with what COVID did to my track career, that I knew I had more to give. Mentally [I was] wanting it and [I was] realizing I can probably work something out.” At first, Fost, who is on the pre-med track, considered taking a gap year after his undergraduate graduation in May 2021. However, the lingering disappointment from his “unremarkable” spring track season pushed him to explore other academic options, namely a master’s degree in bioethics. Although others tried to persuade Fost to join the workforce instead of returning to school, he was determined to seize the opportunity to extend his track career. “I was definitely more compelled to [get my master’s] by the fact that I had eligibility to keep running,” Fost said. “I could have worked in clinical and gotten paid. A lot of people probably would have said that’s the right thing to do, [that] it’d be nice to not have the financial burden, [that I’d] be getting all this great experience which would help for med school. It seems like a no-brainer, but for me, I was really compelled to get one more chance to run.” Emory men’s basketball guard Romin Williams also had no plans to immediately pursue a master’s degree after his undergraduate education until his entire senior season fell victim to the pandemic. Like Fost, Williams wanted to maximize his time as an Emory athlete. Taking his
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Natalie SaNdlow/Staff
Fifth year seniors Liam Fost (left), Romin Williams (top right) and Natalie Costero compete for Emory athletics during their fifth year of eligibility in the NCAA.
fifth year allowed him to finish his athletic career on his own terms while building upon his undergraduate studies at the Goizueta Business School. “I didn’t want to end only playing three years of college basketball when I’m really supposed to have four,” Williams said. “I did some research within Emory to try to find a program within the school that I [had] already been at for the last three years, and that’s when I found an MSBA (MS in Business Analytics) program.” Williams continued to train with his teammates and had the full support of his coaching staff, who assured him he would be welcomed back for his fifth year if he chose that path. However, Williams explained that no one on his team was fully equipped to help him navigate the challenges and workload the program demanded. “I’m the first one to do the program that I did from the basketball perspective,” Williams said. “It’s not like [my coaches and I] have gone through that before or knew what to expect or who to talk to. I had to be the first one to do this and figure it out and get through it.” Emory softball infielder and first year
Emory Law student Natalie Costero is no stranger to rigorous academics either: while playing softball at Lynn University (Fla.), she obtained her bachelor’s degree in marketing in two and a half years and her master’s degree in business in the remaining one and a half. When Costero learned that she had an additional year of eligibility, she knew she wasn’t ready to give up softball. Nonetheless, the job market uncertainty from the pandemic and her passion for leadership drove Costero to attend the Emory University School of Law — a “once in a lifetime opportunity.” Initially, Costero had made peace with retiring from softball in favor of advancing her education, but after conversations with head coach Adrianna Baggetta and senior outfielder Megan Weisenberg, her former grade school teammate, she decided to tackle both. While the workload has been incredibly demanding, Costero said she believes the structure softball provided actually improved her work ethic and time management. “Softball was something that was a constant,” Costero said. “Softball gave me a strict schedule and guided me through my first year of law school. As much as I
could say that there are times that I lose studying hours, which is rough, there are tons of times where I can guarantee you other people in my school are sitting on their phone, and softball just doesn’t let me do that.” Costero is one of only a handful of women in Emory history to attend law school and play sports simultaneously, and for good reason. Although Baggetta has been extremely respectful and accommodating of her commitment to law school, Costero has had to miss practices and travel solo to games to meet her law school requirements. When everything becomes overwhelming, Costero said that she recalls the guidance of former Emory volleyball player Natalie Berkowitz (21PH, 23L), who also played sports while in law school. “‘There’s three kinds of people in the world,’” Costero said, quoting Berkowitz. “‘There are people that are going to tell you this is going to be easy and that you can do it. They’re wrong. There are the people that are going to tell you that it’s hard and it’s going to be impossible and you can’t do it, and they’re also wrong. And then there are the psychotic people like us that are going to do it knowing how hard it is and not care.’” The absence of mentors compounded the difficulty of Williams’ experience and contributed to this past year being the “hardest” of his time as a student-athlete. Group projects and meetings replaced the time he used to spend relaxing with teammates and improving his game, a transition which Williams admitted pushed him out of his comfort zone in the beginning. “I wish that I had someone go through [this] before me and at least give me that insight and mentally prepare me for what I was getting myself into,” Williams said. “At the same time, I think I was put in a position like this for a reason. I’m very happy that I was the first one to do it, because now I know that even when you go into something [where] you may not know exactly how rigorous or consuming
it may be of you mentally and physically, you can still get through it.” Although Fost also found adjusting his training schedule and balancing his academics extremely challenging, for him, the pressure was particularly heightened on his athletic performance. Given that he had turned down financially lucrative opportunities and an Ivy League graduate program acceptance to run at Emory, Fost felt as though only an exceptional final season could prove those who questioned his decision wrong. “There was that [pressure of] having to justify it for me, and the pressure to do well was for me to say, ‘No, I made the right choice,’” Fost said. “My first meet I opened with a very strong season opener, technically a new personal best. Right then and there, that’s when I’m like, ‘No, I haven’t peaked, and I’m here to push myself further.’ Seeing the potential I had made it clear in my mind that I made the right decision.” For Costero, putting forth her best performance was secondary to enjoying her final months as a collegiate athlete. She had once considered a “second chance” at playing softball to be incompatible with
beat myself up over it, it’s not as bad as not playing the game.” Even with the additional responsibility Williams shouldered this past year, he certainly made his mark athletically and academically: he is the men’s basketball program’s all-time leader in made three-pointers, ranks fifth all-time in scoring and will become the first AfricanAmerican male in Emory history to graduate from the MSBA program. Williams sought to incorporate the “growth and maturity” these fifth year experiences and accomplishments have given him into his leadership role on the team, becoming the mentor he wished he had. “I shifted my focus to being a guy that’s getting this younger generation of players ready to be at the helm of Emory basketball,” Williams said. “[I wanted to be] a role model for a person who shows a work ethic on and off the court, who’s able to balance a rigorous academic program as well as be there for every athletic responsibility.” The opportunity to rejoin their teammates was part of the allure of taking a fifth year for both Fost and Williams. The fact that most of his training partners were younger than him allowed Fost to resume track without missing a step, while Williams finished his final season with fellow fifth year guards Matthew Schner and Nick Stuck. Meanwhile, Costero found “one of the best coaches [she’s] ever had” in Baggetta and a new family in her Emory softball teammates, relationships which she - Fifth Year Guard Romin Williams said have transformed her law school schedule, so being able to her for the better. continue playing the sport she loves has “I thought that I would never love a made even the most trying times easier group of girls the way I loved my teamto bear. mates at Lynn . . . and then I came to “Because I know what it was like to Emory and everything shifted,” Costero think that softball was over for [me], I’m said. “I’m so grateful that I’ve had this able to get through the rough part with experience and I think that this group of ease now,” Costero said. “I know that girls are going to be my friends forever. leaving the game forever is so much hard- These are sisters that I’m going to have er than going through the rough parts for the rest of my life, and I never thought . . . obviously I want to do great, I want I’d say that about another group of girls.” to make every play. But sitting here and making a mistake, as much as I want to ◊◊◊
“I’m very happy that I was the first
one to do it, because now I know that even when you go into something [where] you may not know exactly how rigorous or consuming it may be of you mentally and physically, you can still get through it.
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Congrat s, Wheel Seniors! Caroline Carrasco Garcia Silva
Isaiah Poritz Editor-in-Chief
Copy Editor
Formerly Executive Editor and News Editor
Major: Political Science Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah Favorite food or coffee from ATL: Momo Café in Midtown What you’ll miss least about Emory: Rush hour traffic on Briarcliff Favorite spot on campus: Lullwater Preserve
Major: Philosophy, Politics and Law Hometown: Richboro, Pennsylvania Favorite food or coffee from ATL: Sun in My Belly What you’ll miss least about Emory: The pollen count Favorite spot on campus: Club Libs
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Favorite class: History of Southern Politics with Joseph Crespino Most embarrassing moment: That stays between me and the masked stranger I mistook for my friend Favorite Wheel memory: Covering President Biden’s visit
Formerly Managing Editor and Emory Life Editor
Major: English and Philosophy Hometown: São Paulo, Brazil Favorite food or coffee from ATL: Eclipse Di Luna What you’ll miss least about Emory: The super long reading assignments and late night study sessions Favorite spot on campus: The Quad Favorite class: All classes
about Black literature and philosophy Most embarrassing moment: Two laptops completely blue screened and died on me during finals week. Favorite Wheel memory: When former Wheel editor Niraj Naik asked me to become the Emory Life editor after only publishing a few stories. If it wasn't for him believing in me, I am not sure I would be working in journalism now.
Ryan Callahan
Saru Garg
Editor-at-Large
Managing Editor
Formerly Managing Editor and Sports Editor
Formerly A&E Editor
Favorite class: POLS 491 - Cities, Power, and Cinema Most embarrassing moment: Having the Kaldi’s barista correctly guess my order after going there so often Favorite Wheel memory: Double highfiving my managing editor after my first production
Major: Human Health with Health Innovation and Film Studies concentration Hometown: Arlington Heights, Illinois Favorite food or coffee from ATL: Southern Sweets Bakery What you’ll miss least about Emory: The Clairmont shuttles (or lack thereof) on the weekend Favorite spot on
campus: Wheel Offices Favorite class: Classical Hollywood Cinema Most embarrassing moment: I yelled hello to someone I thought I knew. It was not him so I tried to run away, but he biked past me and stared me down. Favorite Wheel memory: Singing Taylor Swift with Brammhi and Sophia at every Wheel gettogether
Congrat s, Wheel Seniors! Ninad Kulkarni
Phyllis Guo
Senior News Editor
Copy Chief
Formerly News Editor
Formerly Copy Editor
Major: Economics and Mathematics Hometown: Hyderabad, India
Favorite class: Auctions Most embarrassing moment: Getting lost in Atwood
Favorite food or coffee from ATL: Falafel King What you’ll miss least about Emory: People on electric scooters Favorite spot on campus: Matheson Reading Room
Favorite Wheel memory: Hanging out with graduating seniors spring break 2020
Major: Quantitative Science - Psychology track Hometown: Taiyuan, China Favorite food or coffee from ATL: Food: Jang Su Jang; Coffee: PERC What you’ll miss least about Emory: Walking to my 8am class from Woody in January Favorite spot on campus: The Quad
Stephen Altobelli
Aidan Vick Associate Editor
Major: English Hometown: North Sioux City, South Dakota Favorite food or coffee from ATL: Food: Fritti; Coffee: Ebrik What you’ll miss least about Emory: Having to reregister for Emory Guest on my TV every day Favorite spot on campus: The staircase in Carlos Hall Favorite class: ENG 255 -
British Literature Before 1660 Most embarrassing moment: Was trying to find the meeting room for a club I was interested in on the second day of freshman year and accidentally walked into a sorority meeting Favorite Wheel memory: Hanging out in the A&E/Sports room on production night
Favorite class: PSYC 475 - Seminar in Attitudes and Persuasion Most embarrassing moment: When I accidentally slept through half my Spanish midterm Favorite Wheel memory: The first editor social event I went to after being promoted as a copy editor. We played two truths and a lie and shared childhood pictures.
Arts Editor
Major: English Hometown: Westminster, Massachusetts Favorite food or coffee from ATL: Little Bear What you’ll miss least about Emory: The B school Favorite spot on campus: The Quad
Poetry and CPLT 489 Imagining Modernity Most embarrassing moment: Freshman year Favorite Wheel memory: Sliding into my now girlfriend’s DMs and asking her to become an editor with me
Favorite class: ENG 205
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Congrat s, Wheel Seniors! Mileen Meyer
Vivian Zha
Business and Design Manager
Business Team Sales Representative
Major: Business - Marketing and Psychology Hometown: Tampa, Florida Post-grad Plans: Working remotely full time with NCR Favorite spot on campus: Bschool basement
Thu Nguyen Business Team Member Major: BBA/MPA, Minor in Finance Hometown: Austin, Texas Post-grad Plans: Digital Assurance & Transparency team at PwC Favorite spot on campus: Starbucks at Barnes & Nobles
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Major: Business - Finance and ISOM Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia Post-grad Plans: Capital Market Analyst Favorite spot on campus: ESC balcony
Joshua Serrano Ildefonso Business Team Member
Major: BBA Finance Hometown: Gainesville, Georgia Post-grad Plans: Investment banking Favorite spot on campus: Bschool on Thursday evenings
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The Wise Heart By Miranda Wilson, Crossword Desk ACROSS 1. How someone might scold on the fourth floor of the library 4. Public health agency by Emory’s campus 7. Sheet music instruction meaning “with the bow” 11. Sound from a dog or wolf 12. What the report card of a Dean’s List student might look like 13. Goatherd who discovered the coffee plant 15. Belonging to a certain Robert W. of Emory 17. Happen another time 18. Branch of gov’t containing the Commander in Chief 19. Anti-, uni-, extra-, e.g. 21. “Be there in just a __” 22. Emory’s chapter of a student physics association (abbr.) 23. Adjective for an eavesdropper 24. Equipment of Emory’s Crew Team 27. 14th chief minister of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh 28. Birthplace of Emory 30. Ending of some street names 33. An extra seed-covering 36. Bill Withers’ song, “Just the __ _ Us” 38. Stocking surprise for an unruly kid 39. Common government website ending 40. Civil rights activist Parks 41. What the third letter of 30-down stands for 43. Classic BBQ side dish 45. An auspicious sign 46. The Spirit of Emory, dismisses classes 48. Hem and __ 50. Deuces 51. Jib or spinnaker, e.g. 53. Title for Carmel Fenves 56. Peruvian-American soprano Sumac 58. Product of Nikon and Canon 60. Sound of surprise 61. Bird of 1-down 64. Where an Emory student might go for a stroll 66. Emory’s student-run newspaper 67. Focused computer languages (abbr.) 68. Score that leads to overtime
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DOWN 1. Emory’s official mascot 2. Play ball or shoot ___ 3. A bricklayer’s box 4. Ebrik, Blue Donkey, Starbucks, e.g. 5. Cartoon duck often in conflict with Bugs Bunny 6. Por poco 7. Used to express a pseudonym 8. Cleaning cloth 9. One might be found in White Hall or Calloway 10. Garfield pup 11. Amazes 12. Northern Lights 14. Suffix for a company 16. Graduates of Nell Hodgson Woodruff School (abbr.) 20. Hugs and kisses 25. In the stern of a ship 26. What Emory Crew might do with 24across 27. One of Emory’s school colors
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28. Female name meaning “holy” 29. Medicine amount 30. Where one might use their meal swipes 31. Clifton __ 32. Deliberately disrupts 34. Color that indicates embarrassment 35. Fr, I saw that celeb __ 37. Prop used in flamenco 42. 1970s English orchestral rock band 44. Spins 47. Emory hangout spot newly opened in 2019 49. Schoolhouse Rock song “How a Bill Becomes _ __” 51. Mash 52. Harpy sister of Greek mythology 53. “The Wise Heart Seeks Knowledge” e.g. 54. Major Swiss-German river 55. Achy 56. Coniferous tree with red berrylike fruits 57. Hawaiian fish often served with lemon 59. MLB division that determines two advancing teams 62. Zodiac sign associated with a lion 63. Species in the deer family 65. Sound of relaxation
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Senior Reflection | Jane Wang
Do Whatever You Want
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Jane Wang
f I may offer one piece of advice to Emory’s underclassmen, let it be this: do whatever you want. Within reason, of course. But moral and legal caveats aside, I have personally found my most fulfilling experiences at Emory not because I did as I was told but because I threw myself into the activities I loved. I came to college as a pre-law student with all kinds of ideas about what “pre-law” should look like. I should study philosophy because it would provide a good foundation for law school and because philosophy majors statistically perform well on the LSAT. I should join student government, mock trial and the prelaw society because these would best demonstrate my commitment to becoming a lawyer. And I should really learn how to expand my friend groups into richer and whiter circles because I had heard that the legal field was filled with country-club types. During my first year at Emory, I busied myself with transforming into this supposed ideal, and I truly learned more than I could have imagined. I learned that the abstract underpinnings of Socratic thought were often too far-removed from concrete reality to hold my interest for very long. I learned that I lacked the patience to deal with bureaucratic red
tape and Robert’s Rules of Order in student government. I learned that I was more than capable of making nice with almost anyone; it just sometimes came at the cost of constantly feeling like I had to present a certain way in order to fit in. Needless to say, my initial quest to become the picture-perfect pre-law student didn’t last long. After years of believing I needed to be “less Asian” for the sake of my career, I joined Emory’s Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Activists (APIDAA) because I was tired of viewing my identity as a weakness. I wanted to finally explore the history and stereotypes that had defined so much of my life and my community, so I made the time for it, four-year plan be damned. Now, in the
been posting on Facebook about political speaker events at his university, and I wanted to see the same kinds of discussions at Emory, so I decided to make them happen. BridgeEmory got off to a rocky start in my sophomore year, but we have since then organized both large-scale panels and smaller discussion groups about the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, police brutality, the COVID-19 pandemic and more. Creating BridgeEmory not only gave me useful knowledge and skills but also taught me that open dialogue can and should provide value for everyone, not just right-wing folks on the Internet. My two greatest commitments in college were not part of the original plan. They were not tried and true methods of getting a job or getting into graduate school. No one told me I should become an activist or open expression advocate because it would look good on my resume. I chose my primary engagements at Emory by putting my own interests first and others’ expectations second, and I am all the better for it. Of course, I cannot pretend that I eschewed resume-building and job-searching altogether; we live in a world where such considerations are necessary. But I would like to urge Emory students to get a bit creative on this four-year journey towards their greater goals. The conventional path will not always serve you best, especially if you pursue activities that don’t excite you. And if you think I’m being unrealistic here, just remember that “boring” doesn’t interview well. So, take the leap: find and cultivate your true interests. They will hopefully make you a more engaging and welldeveloped person. Do whatever you want, and as long as you take the time to do it well, you will find that your college years have more than paid their dividends.
“My two greatest commitments in college were not part of the original plan.” days before I graduate, I thank God for that decision. The work that APIDAA has done to advocate for the Asian Student Center and the hiring of more AsianAmericanist faculty and staff has brought me more pride and joy than I could ever have foreseen. I also started BridgeEmory with my friend Kimia for the same reason I joined APIDAA: because I wanted to. One of my high school classmates had
Jane Wang (22C) is a history major from Chandler, Arizona. She is the former co-president of both BridgeEmory and the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Activists (APIDAA). After graduation, Wang plans to work as a consultant in McKinsey’s Atlanta office for one year before attending law school.
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Senior Reflection | Adam Weisman
Take Pride in Your Passions
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Adam Weisman
he first memory I have at Emory University is an ice-breaker from my orientation experience. Seated in a circle, each person took turns listing the basics: pronouns, hometown and intended field of study. A younger Adam Weisman, chipper and green as he was, was eager to share – he was going to be a theater studies major. The announcement was met with silence and concerned looks, eventually scattered laughter. Within the first thirty minutes, I was reminded that we live in a world that undervalues the arts. Even in the enlightened, scholarly halls of Emory University. Much of my f i r s t - y e a r experience involved announcing my intended major, and then spending the next several hours defending my choice to
my peers, and all life decisions that led me to that very point. “What a waste of intelligence.” “All your potential – and that’s what you’re doing with it?” “Good thing there are always restaurants in need of waiters!” I heard it all. And there were days when I’d listen. I started introducing myself as a double major, even when I had no clue what that second major would be, as if to say, “Don’t worry! I have a plan B!” As the years progressed, the external comments died down, but there was always a voice in the back of my head – what if they were right? I had four years to steel myself before entering the capitalist workforce, and there I was
“The culminating result of my arts education is a wellrounded, competitive job applicant, ready to tackle any challenge that arises post-graduation.”
“But most importantly, I learned to never apologize for pursuing a degree or a career in the arts.” preparing by sitting beneath my lofted bed, reading excerpts of Aristotle’s Poetics. Yet as I reflect on these last four
years at Emory, an older (but still chipper, if not a trifle jaded) Adam Weisman realizes that I can attribute so much of my growth to my theater studies education. From philosophy, history and politics to sustainability and architecture, theater arts have helped me explore every niche academic interest I could identify. My involvement in student theater and Theater Emory have given me invaluable leadership opportunities and allowed me to hone my collaborative and people skills. The culminating result of my arts education is a well-rounded, competitive job applicant, ready to tackle any challenge that arises postgraduation. But most importantly, I learned to never apologize for pursuing a degree or a career in the arts. As I walk across the graduation stage, I will do so proud of all I have accomplished as a theater studies major. Fellow students of the arts, continue your arts education with steadfast resolve. Don’t let anyone tell you that the arts aren’t a worthy pursuit. Together, we’ll show the world the power of the liberal arts.
Adam Weisman is a hopeful theatermaker from South Florida. He served as the secretary and interim production manager of Ad Hoc Productions, producer and mediator of the Lenaia Playwriting Festival, student representative on the Theater Emory advisory board and resource manager and keeper of student storage for Alpha Psi Omega, Theater Honor Society. In 2021, he received the German Studies Engagement Award. He will be receiving a Theater Studies Departmental award this year. Additionally, he completed a Summer Student Assistantship completing German Studies research with Prof. Caroline Schaumann. His senior undergraduate research project was voted fan-favorite at The Davinci Talks. He plans on taking a gap year to work in theaters in and around Atlanta before pursuing a MFA in Theater for Youth.
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Senior Reflection | Akash Kurupassery, Ahmed Aljohani
Building Resilience through Difficult Times
Akash Kurupassery
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hen I first came to Emory, I remember feeling overwhelmed. I had just left my friends, family and the place that I had called home for so many years, only to be thrown into the awkwardness of icebreakers and orientation groups. I remember asking my Orientation Leader how long it took for Emory to feel like a home to her. She answered that it took her time to be comfortable in a new place, but
despite my anxiety, I too would eventually well-being all at the same time. I have spent find a rich community here that I would be many nights, desperate for sleep, finishing reluctant to leave. Those first few days were up a paper or studying for an exam that I was terrifying, but I am happy to say that she was sure that I would fail. I have spent many right. Emory has become a home for me, and days running on auto-pilot just trying to put I am delighted that I was able one foot in front of the other to spend my college “No matter where my in order to not be experience in an overwhelmed by everything environment that protected path takes me, my time that I have to do. The worst me but also challenged me to moments are when a crisis is become the best version of at Emory will always actively happening. It is in myself. those moments that I am As a senior who is about to carry a special place in overwhelmed by panic and graduate, it is easy for me to anxiety, and I feel like view my college experience collapsing. But being able to my heart.” through a rose-colored lens. face crises in the protective As I walk around this campus, I am filled bubble of Emory has helped make me a with memories of the past few years, and I more resilient person, and I feel prepared to am sad that I will have to leave soon. From face and overcome the obstacles that may lie going on walks in Lullwater Park to having in my path ahead. late-night conversations and adventures I love my Emory experience, not because with friends, I will always treasure these it was perfect, but because it has prepared moments that have contributed to making me for the ups and downs of the real world. me the person I am today. I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to That being said, my time at Emory hasn’t attend such a wonderful institution, and for been easy. I have struggled to achieve the lessons that it has taught me. No matter academically, engage myself in my campus where my path takes me, my time at Emory involvements and take care of my personal will always carry a special place in my heart.
Akash Kurupassery is from Franklin, Tennessee. He served as the president of the Residence Hall Association and as the president of the 66th College Council. After graduating, he plans to study law at UVA in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Do Not Overplan Your Future
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Ahmed Aljohani
our future doesn't have to be planned out. We often hear that successful people have it all planned and well thought out every step along their way. We hear that we need to assemble a goal and follow it throughout our college years. While it is true that we need a preliminary plan for our future, focusing on the details is straining
and stressful. My peers seemed to figure out their four years of college life within the first week of school. I felt pressured since despite knowing I wanted to be engulfed in research, I did not know how to reach that goal. I felt how passionate my friends were about their futures, and I strived to match up to their determination without realizing the stress it was causing. I was scared that my four year plan could go wrong, because life is full of surprises. Nevertheless, my life started to change ever since I started following a specific saying from the previous president of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST): "Don't over-plan your future. Make an initial plan, but focus on excelling at what you're going through. When you do your best, you will find an opportunity." I started living in the present, focusing on my homework for that specific week and simply asking myself: what do I need to do now to graduate with a good GPA ? After I
managed to secure an excellent GPA in my first year, I started thinking about how I could join a research lab. I had always heard that I needed to reach out to ten professors to join their lab, and I should expect rejections. However, I only asked one, and he allowed me to join his lab the summer after my first year. I started focusing on how to succeed in my research, and eventually, with my advisor's help, I got published. Taking my college undergraduate experience step by step has helped me maximize my potential to succeed. To the students stressed about their future, you will be okay. Live in the present for a while, explore your interests and appreciate what you have done. College is a time to be open to all possibilities, and we will inevitably face hardships and struggle along the way. I'm sure we get frustrated every time we hear the words "unprecedented challenges." However, once you do your best in the present, opportunities will present themselves in front of you.
Ahmed Aljohani is from Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. He served as the co-president for the Emory Muslim Students Association, and was an academic fellow captain for two years. He was awarded the 2022 Rhodes Scholarship. After graduation, he will continue his education in the University of Oxford focusing on marine scientific research.
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Senior Reflection | Stephanie Zhang
Do What You Like in College only filled my schedule with courses I found personally interesting. Unfortunately, my extracurriculars took a similar turn. I originally thought I would try to be less activist-y than I was in high school — maybe
Stephanie Zhang
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ow, Emory has been a whirlwind of experiences. If you asked me as a freshman, “What do you think you’ll look like graduating college?” a picture of my current self would not appear. I came into Emory with one goal: have plans after graduation that would make my parents proud. Whether it be a prestigious law school or well-paying job, I was going to put effort into planning meticulously for the future. As soon as course registration started, I knew this dream would not become reality. While I was supposed to enroll in pre-BBA classes, what immediately caught my eye was a history course about radicals and revolutionaries of the Caribbean. This course fulfilled me in ways my intro courses in Economics did not. I was soon looking for similar classes about race, class, gender and identity: classes that felt enriching and substantive. In my first three years at Emory, the majority of classes on my schedule were not “major-related.” In my last year at Emory, I was taking general education requirement classes people advised for freshmen, as I had
campus. My work-study job at the Center for Women was another space where I committed myself to something I genuinely liked doing. Working with amazing supervisors and student staff, making lots of crafts and building feminist programs for young girls w e r e meaningful experiences I would not have had anywhere else.
“Coping with this lack of stability can be challenging, but I am a firm believer that you should live to work, not work to live.” infiltrate a business school club, try out economic research or join a pre-law society. I was interested in joining a program with a pipeline to something secure and profitable. Instead, I started hanging out with the sophomores (21C) that comprised Asian American Pacific-Islander Student Activists (now APIDAA). They helped me recognize my passion for community advocacy, and we created the current Asian Student Center, developed the assistant director position in the Office for Racial and Cultural Engagement to support Asian American students and highlighted Asian American student needs on
In my four years at Emory, I fully embraced my interests that I was told would only survive as hobbies. While I skewed far from my preprofessional plans which, had they been successful, would have put me on track to be the dream daughter of Asian immigrant parents, I was able to do intentional work that has changed me profoundly. I now know that the pre-professional plans I felt obligated to accomplish were created from my fear of an uncertain future. Coping with this lack of stability can be challenging, but I am a firm believer that you should live to work, not work to live. By doing things that felt authentic to me, I am able to graduate with a better understanding of who I am, how I want to exist in the world and the legacy I want to leave behind.
Stephanie Zhang is from Johns Creek, Georgia. She is a philosophy and economics double major. She co-founded Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Activists and served as a co-chief of staff. She was also a student staff worker at the Center for Women at Emory. She is the winner of the Marion Brittain Award, a Humanity in Action Senior Fellow and a National Newman Civic Fellow. After graduation, she will be going on a cross-country roadtrip with her cat.
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Senior Reflection | Joy Knowles
The Wonders of Womanism questions that disguise inquiry about social status as casual small talk. It took some time for me to make friends through my classes. But fortunately I lived with and near a
Joy Knowles
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y family’s biggest value has always been education. The price of university has served as a barrier to formal education, and my loved ones have taken initiative to educate themselves through voracious reading and studying. I’ve been privileged enough not only to go to college, but also to attend an esteemed, elite institution flooded with opportunities and connections. When I started my college life, the only things I knew about college were things I remembered from a handful of episodes of “A Different World,” and from attentively listening to our summer Canvas assignments. While my peers complained about these lessons being pointless, I was silently grateful that somebody took the time to explain concepts like credit hours and Add/Drop/Swap. During most of my first moments at Emory, I felt out of place in almost every capacity. As students desperately searched for new friends, I would constantly worry about if Emory would be a place where I could find valuable relationships. I dreaded the few minutes before and after events when people would ask
surrounded me with dignified Black women who care about each part of my life, and they have fueled my soul when I felt the most discouraged. My personal growth flourished once I began to open up to the women of color who display an authentic commitment to guiding me towards success in all of its forms. Their encouragement has propelled me as I overcame my fears around failure. They have been compassionate and patient as I’ve fought against perfectionism and embraced adaptability. Four years ago, I second guessed every word I spoke, and had to motivate myself to enter a professor’s office hours. Intersectionality was always conceptually present in my mind, but I did not have the language to describe my experiences and feelings. Even when I have had to find networks and opportunities independently, Emory has presented me with the foundation to support myself and encourage others. The people at Emory have shown me how Alice Walker’s womanism can be a driving force in my life. My Emory experience was an interesting dichotomy. It has been immensely draining but also incredibly empowering. But I will always carry pieces of their love and support with me, because it kept me going when I almost collapsed. If you want to see what you can do to be more equitable, then follow the example of the women of color who do thankless work to sustain positive change. They prioritize advocacy and compassion. They exemplify Alice Walker’s descriptions of womanism because they are dedicated to the “the wholeness of the entire people.”
“They have been compassionate and patient as I’ve fought against perfectionism and embraced adaptability. ” group of compassionate, welcoming women. Their openness and encouraging leadership created a space that was the first time I felt confident at Emory. Whenever I struggled and made mistakes, they reminded me that I deserve to take up space, and that I have insight and knowledge to contribute to others. My family reminded me regularly that they empathized with my challenges, even when they could not relate to them. The administration in Campus Life and Office of Undergraduate Affairs have listened attentively to my voice, and they’ve created safe spaces where I can speak openly. They listen patiently, and do so without adding a pressure where I have to pretend to have everything together. My most impactful relationships at Emory have been with the women who have provided me with opportunities to learn and develop my leadership while prioritizing my self care. My African American Studies classes have
Joy Knowles (she/her) is from Kansas City, Kansas and double majored in Psychology and African American Studies. During her time at Emory, she served as the Director of Advocacy in Emory FLIP (First-generation and/or Low Income Partnership) and the Resident Advisor for Empowering 1st. She was a member of the First-Gen Week Planning Committee and led other initiatives to help FGLI students. A Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow, she researches mental health in Black communities. She is taking time off before returning to school to pursue a PhD.
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Senior Reflection | Clio Hancock
Dive In
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Clio Hancock
little over a month ago, I swam my last race as an Emory University swimmer. It was the emotional and long-overdue NCAA Championships, the culmination of all the hard work the team put in over the last two years. I was swimming the second leg of the 800 freestyle relay, an event rich in history for Emory’s women’s swimming and diving team. As we walked out of the ready room, I was met with a roaring crowd and booming music. I looked up to see alumni and family waving in the stands and across the pool at my teammates and coaches. All of the clamor disappeared when I hit the water and suddenly, I was surrounded by the familiar quiet coolness of the pool. In that moment, I could register two main feelings: the fizz of excited nerves and a deep sense of gratitude. These two feelings perfectly encapsulated the way that I feel about my four years at Emory. When I came to this campus four years ago, I promised myself that I would try things that scared me a little. Throughout my college experience, I’ve held myself to this promise, and as
a result have seen both unparalleled opportunities and tremendous challenges. Every time I have encountered something that makes my heart rate spike – swimming on an All-American relay, enrolling in classes with titles like “Quantum Mechanics” and “Fieldwork into Performance,” writing an honors thesis or captaining a swim team – the only choice I have is to dive in headfirst. But, like a relay, taking on these challenges cannot be done alone. Emory presents the perfect environment to take risks because
again and to grow. The support and mentorship I have felt is just one piece of my Emory experience that I am grateful for. Across four years, through good and bad days on campus and through a pandemic, I have felt deeply thankful for Atlanta's golden hours and campus sunsets, for all the nerdy, passionate and fun friends I have made here (shoutout to the Supportive Chem Girl Queens) and for the opportunity to pursue my passions in the classroom and in the pool. It has meant the world to be part of the Emory community, and I’m grateful that I will soon be able to call this place my alma mater and join a network of supportive and engaged alumni. Once my outstretched hand hit the wall and the next swimmer dove in, my Emory swim career was over. But the job wasn’t finished. Before I could catch my breath, I was out of the water and cheering on the rest of the relay. My experience at Emory may be coming to a close, but I look forward to taking the lessons I’ve learned here into the future, which brings new challenges and opportunities. But most importantly, I will always be an Emory Eagle and will be cheering on each and every one of you as you all learn and grow through your time at Emory.
“Every time I have encountered something that makes my heart rate spike – swimming on an All-American relay, enrolling in classes with titles like “Quantum Mechanics” and “Fieldwork into Performance,” writing an honors thesis or captaining a swim team – the only choice I have is to dive in headfirst. “ someone will always help you to your feet when you fall. As a freshman, I often felt isolated and alone. But the past four years have shown me that people here are eager to connect. I have been surrounded by friends who bring kind words and ice cream, professors who contribute thoughtful advice during office hours and coaches who believe in me practice after practice. Without these people, I would not have been able to fail, to try
Clio Hancock is from Evanston, Illinois. She was captain of the swim and dive team, a Chemistry 150/202 Learning Assistant and a member of the Conn Lab. After graduation, she plans to move to Denver to work as a consultant with McKinsey & Co..
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Senior Reflection | Rachel Ding
Just the Beginning
P
Rachel Ding
lenty of students experience culture shock when they first arrive at college. The insane first few weeks of moving in, orientation and fighting for seats in the library during course registration. There seems to be an endless number of clubs that want you to join their email list and way too many random acronyms to remember among other chaos. We’ve suddenly found ourselves in a new life with thousands of others also trying to adjust to college life. But when I got to Emory, I had the opposite experience. My parents moved over 7,000 miles from Beijing, China to Birmingham, Alabama in the 90s. Growing up, I was caught between an effort to assimilate and embrace my upbringing. I realized that growing up as the child of immigrants with traditional Chinese values in the Deep South, the first 18 years of my life had been culture shock. When I finally arrived at Emory’s Oxford College, I found myself exactly where I belonged. I completely embraced the diversity of students
had a drive to serve and improve the s t u d e n t experience of my fellow peers, who gave me the honor of serving as their student body president twice. Now, many of us might be feeling that deep sense of nostalgia as we prepare to say goodbye to our four years here. After we walk across the Quad in May, we will look back at our camera rolls or Instagram posts and remember the pure joy, the overwhelming stress and the heartbreak and all of those memories in between will be a reminder of the time we had together. When life gets busy and we inevitably grow apart, we will always be connected through these memories and can be thankful for the friendships we’ve built. Finally, I’m thankful for the way the Class of 2022 has supported me, challenged me and most of all, impressed me. The world needs leaders, creatives, activists, innovators and trailblazers and our class has no shortage of changemakers. I know we will go out into the world and serve each of the passions we’ve developed here, fighting for the causes we believe in. The people at Emory are the reason why it is such a singular and amazing place. This is just the beginning. We are beginning a lifetime of friendship and I know the future is bright with all of us at the helm. For now, I can just be proud to leave campus a better person just as I leave Emory a better place.
“The world needs leaders, creatives, activists, innovators and trailblazers and our class has no shortage of changemakers.” around me, becoming fast friends with students who made me feel empowered to embrace my cultural heritage, language and identity. My immediate dedication to student government stemmed logically from the desire to grasp in my environment the true belonging that eluded me growing up. I
“Growing up, I was caught between an effort to
assimilate and embrace my upbringing.”
Rachel Ding is from Birmingham, Alabama and is graduating with a degree in Finance and Political Science. During her time at Emory, she served as Oxford College SGA President from 2019-2020 and Emory University SGA President from 2021-2022 and a two-term student counselor on the Board of Trustees.
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Senior Reflection | Michelle He
(Mixed Feelings on) Saying Yes Do you want to check out the new exhibit at the Carlos museum? Yes. Are you interested in getting involved with Residence Life? Yes! Should we form a group to compete in HackATL? Yes?! Saying yes – with
Y
Michelle He
es. A simple, one syllable word that defined my entire Emory experience. I feel the gravity of the word “yes” in nearly all aspects of my college experience, because it holds everything from taking last-minute trips to investigating unexplored academic disciplines within its orbit. “Yes” is more than one decision or action. “Yes” symbolizes my open and curiosity-driven approach to college. Over the past four years, we have all been asked an impossibly large number of questions, each with the distinct possibility of shaping our time at Emory. As an underclassman, I answered each opportunity with a resounding “yes” in hopes of gaining perspective and experience. At a time when everything seemed so new and foreign, I hoped that this mentality would provide me with clarity and selfdiscovery. I wanted to grow deeply and rapidly, and thought the best way to do it was by saying “yes” to every experience Emory had to offer.
roles and undertakings because I was too afraid to say no. I failed to realize that each yes I uttered also resulted in an equal and opposite no. By saying yes to one thing, I would
“Saying yes – with excitement or even trepidation – to each of these questions has undoubtedly created some of my richest college memories.” excitement or even trepidation – to each of these questions has undoubtedly created some of my richest college memories. It has sparked my love for contemporary art, introduced me to a new community on campus and instilled in me a passion for entrepreneurship. Simply put, saying yes has shaped my college experience for the better. However, when I take a step back, I realize that saying yes has also taken a toll on my four years here. When my workload multiplied after sophomore year, I found it immensely difficult to set boundaries to prioritize commitments I valued most. Terrified by the idea of disappointing others and myself, I continued to say yes to new
inevitably have to say no to another. No to the extra hour in stacks, no to eight hours of sleep and no to a serendipitous Friday night hangout. While I do not regret my focus on discovery and exploration throughout college, I now realize the power and value in finding balance. Today, this delicate trade-off is one I think about carefully. As we enter this new and uncertain chapter of our lives after graduation – much like the one we entered four years ago – I will be saying yes only to my priorities. Yes to a new job, yes to a new city and yes to all my family and friends who want to visit me (well… maybe!). But most importantly, I will be saying yes to myself.
Michelle He is from Knoxville, Tennessee. She served as President of Goizueta BBA Council and Co-President of Emory Entrepreneurship & Venture Management (EEVM). After graduation, she will be working in investment banking at Centerview Partners in New York City.
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Senior Reflection | Isaiah Poritz
A Dispatch From the Road Ahead
Isaiah Poritz
misconception that D.C. was part of the South, so it couldn’t be much colder than Atlanta. Wrong there. I’m not sure if there was ever really a single moment that really hit me. A moment that made me realize that I was leaving my home in Atlanta and starting a new chapter in my life. A completely new chapter. Sure, leaving high school is a big step. Emory is far from the mountain west where I grew up, and I gained a semblance of independence that I’d never had before. But graduating college and entering the workforce is entirely different. I knew I was going to be at Emory for four years. I have no idea where I’ll be in four years. I wanted this post-collegiate life. I wanted the hustle and bustle of doing
m writing this far away from the campus I called home for the past four years. In February, I packed my bags and moved from Atlanta to Washington, D.C., to start a new job after graduating in December. On my second night in the city, I sat down to reflect on what the sudden change meant. Here’s what I wrote: — I drove for 11 hours yesterday with my dad up the east coast to a new city. We left my apartment near the Emory campus just as the sun was rising and arrived just as it finished setting. I remember the sun cast a looming, orange warmth across the horizon as we crossed the Potomac River and into the nation’s capital. I was so cold, which was a surprise because I had the
a job I love, meeting new people, exploring a new city. I’m so, so excited to get started. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intimidated unpacking last night.
I’
Because damn if I don’t miss my friends. The pandemic stripped the class of 2022 of a real college experience. March 11, 2020 will be seared in my memory for the rest of my life as the day we were told to leave the community we had just found our place in as sophomores. Since that day, I often felt as though I was in a hurry to move on from college. I know many of you have had similar thoughts. Virtual classes were so exhausting. I missed that exciting buzz in the basement of the library. I missed meeting friends to study all night knowing full well we were just going to talk for hours and eat overpriced snacks from Peet’s (Remember when it was Peet’s?). I missed standing in line for office hours where you could bounce ideas off of new classmates and find study buddies. We did our best, but an online community just can’t replicate that feeling of togetherness that defines the college experience. I’m realizing now that even with that hardship and the hollowed out community, I grew closer to the people that mattered most to me. The pandemic has made us reconsider what we care about and it drove us to hold on to the values that were so often painted over in the past. I miss my friends because over the past four years, we relished the best of times and somehow, some way, we made it through the worst of times together as well.
“We did our best, but an online community just can’t replicate that feeling of togetherness that defines the college experience.”
Isaiah Poritz is from Salt Lake City, Utah, and served as editor-in-chief of The Emory Wheel. He is currently a legal reporter at Bloomberg Law in Washington, D.C.
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Senior Reflection | Matthew Nails
Things I’ve Learned being Black at a PWI
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Matthew Nails
eniors, families, friends and current Emory students, we have proven once again just how resilient we are. As we celebrate the class of 2022, I want to celebrate each of you as well. The ending of this academic school year marks another year that Emory students have worked to further their education with the support of their family and friends, so congratulations to all of us. Being a part of the Class of 2022 has brought about many different experiences and lessons. The first: always advocate for yourself. My parents taught me at a young age that “closed mouths don’t get fed” and always encouraged me to “speak my truth.” I lost my ability to advocate for myself along the way to college because my parents always ensured that I had everything that I needed. They were my advocates. But as we grow, we have to learn to rely and trust in ourselves as well. We left our families to pursue a better future and have to do everything in our power to achieve what we set out for. I vividly
remember emailing my teacher letting her know that I was not as prepared for my exam due to personal matters, and she granted me an extension and reminded me that I should be proud of advocating for myself. The next important lesson I learned was to be adaptable. Many of us have our perfect four-year plan when we get here. We know what we want to major in or what we want to do with our lives. But when we experience life for ourselves, our passions and focuses change and we have to be open to that. For me, I always imagined graduating and immediately going into medical school, but COVID-19 reminded me
friends. We finally came back as seniors and got to experience some version of normal only in the past few weeks. We are the first group of students to return to a traditional Emory graduation on the Quad. It has been challenging to adjust to the world of Zoom then again to in-person learning, but we persevered, adapted to each situation and grew because of it. The final lesson that I learned was to be honest with your mental and emotional status. Life happens — oh, how I know life happens. In 2016, I lost my sweet baby brother, Major Luke Nails, a few hours after birth. It was a very trying time. I was trying to hold back my own feelings because I, myself, was worried about my parents. I had to learn that holding back these sorts of emotions isn’t healthy and they fester into depression and negativity. We have to find the people we feel comfortable with and let them know where we are at. Even during my college experience, I have lost loved ones and had to advocate for myself and let my teachers know, “I need another week before I can take this exam,” “I need to miss class today to gather myself” and more. I always remind people that you should always take the risk and ask for the things you need. Even if they say no, your situation is no different from where you already were, so you have nothing to lose. This experience is everything that you make it. Take charge of that and take charge of this private education by fighting for what you need and want to see.
“We have to find the people we feel comfortable with and let them know where we are at.” how quickly life can go, so I decided that I wanted to give myself more time to re-energize and spend quality time with my family first. We can’t just go on a path we don’t enjoy because we always thought that was what we wanted to be or study. In the same manner, adaptability showed up for the Class of 2022 as we were partway through the spring semester of our sophomore year. It was difficult not being able to give proper goodbyes to our senior friends and not knowing that those improper goodbyes would also be for our junior
Matthew Nails, a Georgia native (Loganville, GA), has served as the President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.’s Mu Alpha Chapter, the National PanHellenic Council, and the 2018-2019 Eagle Hall RHA, Vice-President of the Emory NAACP, Alpha Psi Omega Theater National Honor Society, and Voices of Inner Strength Gospel Choir (VOIS) and the Music Director of AHANA A Cappella. Additionally, Nails is an executive board member of the Black Student Alliance, a member of the Peer Review Board, Phi Delta Epsilon Pre-Medical Fraternity and Emory University’s Concert Choir.Nails has been involved with various theater productions on campus, the most notable being Nails directing “Marie and Rosetta,” the first fully Black undergraduate production at Emory. Nails has been awarded with the NAACP Image Award for Entertainer of the Year, the 100 Senior Honorary and the Dobbs Honors Society (the highest recognition for RAs). Upon graduation, Nails will join the Metro-Atlanta Corps for Teach for America before attending medical school.
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jack antony lewis Congrats Jack - we are so proud of all your accomplishments at Emory. Ensure to keep in touch with all the close friends you have made as you step forward into the world beyond college. Good luck our Cayman boy on your next adventure in Canada with KPMG!
Love ya, Mum, Dad, Scott, Grandpa, Auntie C, David, Rob and Jorge!
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