Siana Emery ’20
Delphin Monga ’20
Mandira Panta ’20
ENGLISH MAJOR
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY/ BIOCHEMISTRY MAJOR
SUSTAINABILITY STUDIES AND BIOLOGY DOUBLE MAJOR
LANSDALE, PENNSYLVANIA
BHAKTAPUR, NEPAL
“As I look back at my experience as a student at Goshen College, I have learned a lot and made great memories that will always be with me forever. I am very thankful for my family, for my college friends, for Goshen’s environment and the community, and most importantly, for all the professors who played a huge role in my success as a student and a friend. All of you supported me and were always there for me in my journey. I have learned skills that have shaped my future.
“I am a first-generation college student and commencement was supposed to be ‘the moment.’ Now that I think about it, I had my life planned out almost too well. Commencement. May Term at Merry Lea. Go back to Nepal. An internship waiting for me. Return to start my graduate degree. Now, I am not sure. My flights are booked, but both the host and the home country have travel restrictions. Internship is cancelled. And I am more unsure than I have ever been before.
“My professors provided a space for me to always go for help if needed and opportunities that helped me succeed as a student and a leader. I have made great memories with my life-long friends as we have traveled, backpacked, shared cooking experiences and worked together on many school projects.
“As Goshen students, we learned about finding strength in adversity, unity in difference and peace within chaos. As graduates, we are now expected to translate that in this current situation and create a positive difference in our communities. I can only hope that despite all the chaos, we are able to meaningfully contribute to the world that is drastically changing as we stumble through the last leg of our college journey.”
NORTH YARMOUTH, MAINE
“As emotional as the last few weeks have been, I have become more thankful than ever for the community that Goshen College has given me. Faculty and staff have shown such an outpouring of support for all students, but especially seniors, and for that, I am so grateful. No, a virtual commencement is not what I ever could have foreseen, but it is touching that the school is working so hard to give us something. Additionally, support among students is stronger than ever. “This is not a time any of us will forget. And for the Class of 2020, we are learning not to dwell too long on what could have been. Instead, we are finding peace in the things we were able to experience and learning to move forward with heads held high. I’ve come to realize that this is a class that is entering the world with such a unique shared experience and I believe that will prove valuable in the years ahead. Everyone will always remember the Class of 2020. You can’t say we don’t know how to make an exit.”
“When I entered Goshen College, graduation was a dream. You have been most helpful in making that dream a reality. For this I am deeply indebted!”
Spring / Summer 2020 | BULLETIN
17
