"I loved walking into Annenberg for the first time as a first-year. This was the moment when I realized that I had 4 years to spend exploring this immense and sometimes-intimidating, often-uplifting institution."
Julie Zhu
"I will miss being able to talk about anything and everything with some of the most brilliant, kind, and driven people whom I have ever met. Harvard taught me to ask many questions and my favorite memories all involve spontaneous (often late night) conversations with friends. I want to thank all of my classmates who have opened up to me because your warmth and willingness to share your vulnerabilities helped me come to embrace Harvard as a second home."
Michel Maalouly
"Let's not talk about that time we were bored on a Thursday night, got into a car, and drove to Canada. We never made it back to Harvard that weekend."
Adam Su
"Based on my dietary habits I am at least 50% carnitas quesadilla, so Felipe's Taqueria will definitely be the thing I miss the most at Harvard. Every bite into their crispy, fried tortilla wrap is a sensory explosion. The savory pulled pork and Mexican rice inside reminds me there is warmth in the world, even on the coldest New England nights. To me Felipe's is the light at the end of the tunnel, the grilled cheese and roasted vegetables at the end of a long problem set. It is also where I have shared stories and jokes and bonded with my closest friends over a bottle of real cane-sugar, mandarin-flavored Jarritos. Whether you accidentally wake up at 3 p.m., or the dining hall is serving grape pizza again, or you just want to feel the rush of culinary cocaine, Felipe's Taqueria is the friend who will always be there for you for $8.96 plus tax."
Rebecca Curran
"It's really hard to pick a favorite Harvard memory. I think my best times here have been the moments that are unplanned. There was one night junior year when my friends and I were too lazy to leave the quad to do anything, so we all put on ridiculous pajamas, built a huge pillow fort in one of our common rooms and watched Toy Story 3. It's those spontaneous moments that make Harvard so special, and it's what I'm going to miss the most when I graduate."
Neha Dalal
"What I’ll miss most about Harvard are the people. They seem to fall into 3 types: those who I’ve gotten really close with; those who I somewhat know and am like ‘wow, you’re really awesome, I want to get to know you better’; and those who I haven’t had the chance to meet but hope to cross paths with later in life. I have never met a kinder, smarter, more interesting, and more fun group of people."
Brooke Dickens
"Harvard has given me some of the best friends in the entire world. The people at this university are incredible, and when I sit back and think about my experiences here and what has made them worthwhile, I can’t help but see all the faces of people who have been with me every step of the way. I am forever grateful for the gift of friendship."
Sarah Sohn
"I think that I’m really going to miss the little moments from my time here: having random, spontaneous chats with my roommates in our common room, grabbing a “quick meal” in the dhall with friends that, more often than not, resulted in some of the most wonderfully long conversations, even running to catch the 9:50 Quad-Yard shuttle in the morning - and most of all, simply being surrounded by this community of supportive, brilliant people."
Mark Arildsen
"My favorite Harvard memory is walking into Widener Library for the first time. Gazing at the rows and rows of shelves, I realized immediately how little I knew and how much I would be able to learn in this place. I was not disappointed. As it turned out, though, I would learn a lot from my classmates and friends as well as from classes and books during my four years here, and I will treasure those connections just as dearly."
Layla Siraj
"What I'll miss most about Harvard is the people. I know that's kind of cheesy, but it's true: the people I've met here are some of the most thoughtful, inquisitive, curious, talented, and hardworking people I know. That's not a blanket statement, and there are many exceptions on both sides, but I will miss being surrounded by my peers who are striving to attain excellence, deep thought, knowledge, and change in a wider variety of disciplines and fields than I thought possible. It inspires and motivates me, especially on days I feel lagging. I'll miss the community."
Megan Taing
"While Harvard can be a really challenging environment to be in at times, without a doubt, it is the vivacity, intelligence, and thoughtfulness of its people that have made the past four years unforgettable. There is something intangible that is always pulsating through campus: you can find it late at night in the house dining halls, during lectures in the science center, over coffee sipped on the cobblestone sidewalks. It's a truly relentless desire to challenge and explore; whatever field they're in or cause they're passionate about, people here are always thinking, dreaming, reaching, bettering. While this mentality can come with its own difficulties and setbacks, I'm proud to be part of a community that has taught me to see the world not only as it is, but also how it could be."
Gianna Lowery
"I remember sophomore year when I got into my upperclassman house and began having meals in the Lowell house dining hall. Being welcomed with open arms in a community like that made me one of the happiest people. I have made such deep friendships with people in Lowell, friendships so close that now thinking about not seeing them everyday is harder than I ever thought possible. These absolutely incredible people are a part of me, they made me who I am today. They helped me grow and learn and find myself. When I leave Harvard I will leave the physical campus behind, but everything that it taught me and everything I gained along the way from friends and peers, I never will."
Emilia San Miguel
"I have so many beautiful, hilarious and empowering moments from Harvard. One of the best, though, will always be this: on the last day of spring exams, my roommates and I would always pack up all of our boxes and take a break to just sit around, talk about our hopes for summer break, laugh about the struggles of exams and the year and just eat Domino's pizza. I have a feeling that when we're all forty-somethings living in different cities around the world we'll still come together once in a while to laugh and stuff ourselves with greasy pizza."
Catarina Martinez
"I think my favorite memory is hard to pin down. When I think of my favorite moments at Harvard though, most have happened in Adams House dining hall. While meals are fun, I especially love being in Adams during the off hours, whether it's early in the morning or late at night. I always end up having the most hilarious/insightful/ridiculous conversations with friends, tutors or even the house babies. There have even been a few 10-second-dance-parties over the years, too. I'm so grateful for the house system and all of the lovely people I wouldn't have met otherwise without our residential system."