The Hofstra Chronicle has made me feel fulfilled in my writing.

It’s not a rare thing for a graduating senior to tell you how fast the time flew by, but it really is the most shocking part of college. It feels like it was just last week when I first toured this school, walked through the Sondra and David S. Mack Student Center and looked for the Palestinian flag – it was not there. This was when I wondered what kind of friends I would make here and who I would be when I walked across the stage in four years.

Now I know the outcome of all those things, and I am so grateful for everything that I have experienced here. I, with the help of my friends, achieved my goal of seeing the Palestinian flag waving in the student center. It represents our struggle in the fight for justice, but it also represents hope for the future. I think that is how I would sum up my time at Hofstra University. There have been times where I just wanted to give up, quit school and go back home. My dad was battling stage four cancer, my family in Palestine was living under an occupation and I couldn’t convince myself that school was worth it amidst all that. But I thought of how resilient my dad was in beating cancer, I saw my mom’s dedication to her career, I saw my sister’s intelligence and spirit and I saw the strength of my family overseas as they kept going and enjoying the little things in life. They gave me hope. At a time where my future was clouded and my goals and dreams seemed so far away, they kept me going. And now, I’m graduating. I know the kind of person I want to be, and that is a person who won’t stop fighting for justice. 

I want to thank Cameron Trotter and JJ Vogt for being my closest friends at Hofstra these past four years. I have shared almost every experience with them, from the worst fights to the purest forms of friendship, and I wouldn’t trade a second of it for anything.

To Josie Walter, you have been my sanctuary. I am excited for our future together and the adventures we will go on.

To Alisha Paracha and Django Buenz, you two are going to bring about the best in Student Voices for Palestine. I am excited to see what you will do next semester. Both of you have been so supportive of me and the cause and I will forever cherish the experiences I had with you. 

To Moriah Sukhlal and Sophia Guddemi, I want to thank you for bringing me into the role of Assistant News Editor before promoting me to News Editor. I have never felt so fulfilled in my writing journey as when I became part of The Hofstra Chronicle. You two helped bring out my love of journalism and I will always be grateful for that.

To Camryn Bowden, I am deeply upset that our layout nights have come to an end. You always made them joyful and fun. I’m going to miss your stupid comments while I’m trying to work on layout, but I am excited to see where your diligence and hard work takes you after college.

To Julia Capitelli, I could not be more confident in passing this section off to you. You went above and beyond as Assistant News Editor, and I know you will do amazing things as News Editor and co-Business Manager.

I now understand what people mean when they say college is a time for figuring out who you want to be. While classes and assignments are important, the relationships you make are crucial to your experience at college, and I am grateful to have shared my journey with all of you.