Holy shit.
After writing a column each week for the last year-and-a-half, these will be my final words.
Next week, I’ll be flying out to Madrid to spend the last 10 weeks of my college career studying Spanish. I don’t really know what to say or how to sum up my time writing for The Aggie – or my time at UC Davis, for that matter.
It’s crazy how quickly an experience like college can go by. I moved up to Davis four years ago, barely 18 years old and having no idea what to expect. Now, as I’m getting ready to leave, I can’t help but look back at everything I’ve experienced.
So little of what I learned during my time at Davis came from the classroom. I’m sure sociology and psychology degrees will come in handy when I’m watching “Law & Order” after graduation. But the main reason why I loved college so much – and learned so much – was because of the people.
What if I had never met Nintendo, Tyler Eash, Hugo Fuentes, Roxanna Topete or all those other amazing students during STEP the summer before my freshman year? I would have never been so inspired by their accomplishments in their respective fields. Whether it was film production, choreography, computer science or pre-law, these individuals have always motivated me.
STEP helped me plan out college accurately and efficiently. For that reason, during winter quarter of my sophomore year, I took Philosophy 5 and met Ryan Walsh – the most amazing, patient and heartwarming person I have ever met. From there, I met other amazing individuals and got to become great friends with people like Marissa Walsh and Tyler Scudero.
Despite the insanity that was an all-girls dorm freshman year, I’m glad I met down-to-earth people like Velveth Barahona, Bianca Rodriguez and Parastoo Massoumi. You girls are nuts.
I’m so glad I got to intern at the Women’s Resources and Research Center last year. I got to meet amazing women like Joy Evans, Sing Wang, Sonya Montoya and all the other staff and interns last year. They gave me a space to grow and learn, as well as lead and use my creativity to help others. The support they gave me is invaluable and I will always remember my time there.
For two summers, I was fortunate enough to participate in the King Hall Outreach Program (KHOP). The unbelievable stories and remarkable individuals I met during those eight weeks shaped me in so many ways I can’t describe. I met individuals like Felipe Garcia, Bushra Choudhry, Elva Linares and 33 other pre-laws. The adversity each of them faced, and the resilience they displayed, always has and always will motivate me.
Not only did I meet amazing students, but I also was lucky enough to find mentors such as Cristina Gapisan, Amanda Wilder and Javier Ortiz who continue to support me in my ambitions.
If I hadn’t attended KHOP, I probably wouldn’t have joined La Raza Pre-law Student Association. Peers like Laura Pulido, Baryo Dee and Alejandra Diaz were individuals that I looked up to in their leadership roles. I’m still so proud of all they have accomplished.
In my second year with La Raza, I was fortunate enough to work side-by-side with the amazing Andrea Delgadllio. Her hard work and dedication to the community always had me mesmerized. I can only hope I didn’t get in her way too much during our time together.
Beyond all the people who have supported me, been there for me and encouraged me, I’m glad I met all the shit talkers, backstabbers and incredibly fake people along the way, too. Your ignorance and lack of appreciation taught me so many important lessons. I’d be wrong not to recognize you all as well.
And, of course, I couldn’t have written this – or any of my 30-something other columns – without Richard Procter and Adam Loberstein, my editors over the last two years. Thanks for acknowledging that I had something important to say and giving me the avenue to express it.
Damn, I guess this is it. Thanks for reading. Sara, out.
SARA KOHGADAI is going to miss all of you. Just because she didn’t mention you doesn’t mean you didn’t impact her life. Love you all. She can be reached at sbkoghadai@ucdavis.edu.
