"Harvard made me question that none of my favorite things were ever actually any of my favorite things. I developed my new favorite understanding of life that nothing is ever truly under our control, materializing nicely in a fun series of events where I came back from an odd study abroad program and decided to play human Pinball as I bopped among living at several Harvard houses. I realize my favorite thing about Harvard has been the series of trials it has given me, such that I have come to learn the true value of my ideological resilience. I like many things about my school, in part because I have learned so many things here – learning from the vanguard of academia, with a degree in neuroscience to prove it. My favorite thing about it, however, is the big lessons that have been learned outside the classroom, and that everything is relative."
Andrew Malek
"I will miss walking around the yard everyday with such awe and excitement as if it were my first day. I will even miss the occasional zombie morning walks to class, no matter how early they were. Trying almost every restaurant in the square is definitely something I will look back at with a smile. Above all, I will really miss the people, my roommates, my friends, and the chemistry that connected us with this place."
Megan D'Arcy
"Harvard has afforded me the opportunity to meet respected leaders and make friends with people from all around the world who have challenged my thinking with their diverse perspectives. On a trip to Dubai with the Harvard College in Asia Program in 2014, President Bill Clinton surprised our delegation of ten Harvard students at a summit on global health. He offered advice that we'll take with us as we leave Harvard Yard: it's on us to take more responsibility for our communities.”
Mariam Jalloul
Getting into Harvard was easily one of the most memorable days of my life. Not so much because I got in, but because of how proud it made my parents. To this day, I don't think anything will top it. It was the peak of their pride. I was with my family in our living room, and I got an email to my phone, and I remember a visceral nervousness. I just couldn't find the nerve to open the email. My cheeks are always flushed red, but my mama said when I opened the email and began to read, my face went completely white. I looked up to my mom and very calmly, in disbelief, said "I got in..." I just remember hugging her as we both cried. My dad was nowhere to be found, and when I saw him walking up the stairs from the basement, I could see his eyes were all red and that he was crying. It was the first time I ever saw him cry. My parents immigrated from Lebanon in hopes that their kids could have the best opportunities. They crossed oceans for us. This was my thank you to them. To see them both cry from joy was the most elated happiness I've ever felt."
Sami Ghoche
“Things I’ll miss about Harvard: All the crazy traditions, from housing day, to The Game, to primal scream…; The amazing resources that I’ll probably never take for granted again; Learning from world-renowned professors with world-class classmates; And most of all, just being surrounded by some of the most talented and inspiring students in the world. Thank you all for the most incredible four years of my life!”
Matt Kozlowski
“I'll always remember that time we received a surprise visit from the former President of Ecuador in our negotiation class! I'll also never forget all the great times I've had at Harvard with my roommates and best friends.”
Ashley Notzon
“I'll never forget the first heavy snowfall of my freshman year. My roommates and I woke up early and went outside to play in the snow and sled down Widener's steps on dining hall trays (sorry HUDS). I remember being in awe of how beautiful Harvard Yard was with its white coat, how lucky I felt to be in the company of such wonderful people, and how big the world felt. Now, four years later, I'm leaving Harvard with a greater sense of purpose, but the amazement I feel as I walk through the yard still feels the same."
Dhruv Goyal
“My most inspiring moment at Harvard was when the Dalai Lama told me, ‘In all the craziness of this world, people tend to forget that the basic calculus of all decision making is to be happy.’”
Claire Leibowicz
“After Harvard, I will miss the camaraderie. Well, it's more the feeling that comes with the sense of camaraderie on this campus. Of course it's most obvious in specific communities or organizations, but it never truly goes away. It's there when I'm walking through the Yard with both friends and strangers. Some of us may be going to hand in a pset and others may be grabbing coffee at Greenhouse, but we're all experiencing this crazy, diverse, intense, stimulating, and incredibly unique place that is Harvard, together. It's even there during moments of struggle: office hours, final exams, thesis preparation, late nights in Lamont. I want to think that the "real world" will have this inherent sense of camaraderie that makes every day so exciting on this campus, but deep down I know that it is something truly special about Harvard.”
Eda Kaçeli
"I'll miss most feeling a sense of belonging both around my dearest friends and the Harvard community. Looking back, I feel confident that Harvard was the perfect place for me to spend these past 4 years."
Enki Gjeci
“What will I miss about Harvard? I will miss the beautiful, soul enriching conversations with my phenomenal friends, the intellectually stimulating classes that have made me a better person than I could've ever imagined four years ago, and of course, being at the heart of an environment with such a relentless enthusiasm for creativity and social impact."
Gabrielle Wilson
"I'll probably miss Felipe's the most, but I'll also miss the friends I made here, Lowell, the MCZ, beating Yale, the turkey(s), and HUDS."
Jiyun Chang, Jahred Liddie
Jiyun Chang
“During Visitas, I saw a fluffy-haired kid sitting on a bench in the Yard by himself. He looked as lost as me. I sat next to him and started cheerfully chatting. He looked at me warily."
Jahred Liddie
“We did the typical intro--where are you from, how's your day been, what are you thinking of studying--and strolled through some of the events on campus for prospective students. Little did we know, we wound up in the same entryway later in the fall, and would later become blockmates!”
Cindy Choi
“I'll miss the people I've met at Harvard. They were brilliant, down-to-earth, and relentlessly enthusiastic. The memories I've made with them will surely last forever. Oh, and Kong--I'll miss Kong a lot, too!”
Irma Nomani
“I'm the type of person who misses literally everything-- like even psets and HUDS food and mice... although I think what i'll miss most is just being so close to all my friends! Everyone will be so far (all over the world!) by June!”
Viet Tran
“I'll definitely miss the people the most. I know that's cheesy, but it's true for many I believe. I'll miss being able to talk about anything and everything, and learning even while I'm just casually hanging out with friends. I can't imagine not having all these amazing and inspiring people who I’ve grown so close to within shouting/walking distance of me. It's been such a blessing and privilege to call Harvard home, and even more so to call those who live here my friends.”
Michael Loughlin
“My freshman year I met five guys who have become my best friends. I know we'll see each other regularly once we graduate, but we won't all be living in the same place anymore. For me, these five friends are the best thing about being at Harvard, and they are what I will miss the most."
Jasmine Opie
“I’ll miss all sorts of things about Harvard. Obvious, concrete people and things like friends and Dunster house, certain professors and coffee shops, Widener (but not Lamont), and even HUDs; abstractly, though, I’ll also miss the feeling of being here as an undergraduate, existing in a place and time in my life where there are so many (often overwhelming!) possibilities.”
Anastasia Snetkova
“What I'll miss most is the Lowell community. These people taught me the most important thing I learned here - about having compassion, and trying to act on it. Whatever perceptions we have of the people around us, we have no way of knowing what they have actually been through unless we stop and listen. And sometimes that makes all the difference.”
Preeti Srinivasan, Yasmin Issari
"We live two streets away from each other at home in Glastonbury, Connecticut. The two of us met in 5th grade, when we didn't like each other because one of us wanted to play Four Square and the other wanted to play Tag. A year later, we were inseparable and did absolutely everything together. We went to the same elementary school, middle school, and high school, and ended up being the first people in our high school in 6 years to get into Harvard. We came here together, and now we're linkmates - one of us lives in Lowell, and the other lives in Quincy. Honestly, we don't know what we'll do when our best friend no longer lives two streets away."