By: Essence Buckman, senior writer
The time has come where this will be the last time that I’ll be writing for the Old Gold and Black student newspaper. My time as a student here has flown by, and I have spent three years of my undergraduate studies working to include the stories of the marginalized and unrecognized groups or topics through my articles.
I’m glad that I have done my part by writing these stories. I have received some backlash from older alumni on things that I have written, especially concerning diversity and inclusion. However, I wouldn’t trade those moments for the world, being a staff/senior writer has given me the opportunity to express myself and give others the opportunities to express themselves. Being a part of OG&B is just a part of my overall Wofford experience.
In less than a month, I will walk across the stage and receive my Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in African/African American studies. It is bittersweet because while I am ready to move forward with my life, being an adult after undergraduate studies is intimidating. I have no clue what’s in store and hope that the hard work I put into my four years here will pay off.
Looking back on my four years, I think of the emotional labor that I have dealt with in addition to the sometimes challenging academics. It feels like it was just yesterday that I was moving in on a Wednesday morning at the end of August 2014. It feels like yesterday that I was in my room in Greene, setting it up and preparing for the four-year rollercoaster ride ahead of me.
Time has really flown by and I can’t believe that each day I am closer to receiving my degree as a first generation college student. Through emotional, academic and financial troubles, I never thought that I would make it to this moment, but it’s coming and I have a lot to look forward to after Wofford.
In some ways, this place has toughened me up to deal with a variety of adversity that I had never imagined I’d be dealing with before coming here. But time will not slow down whether I feel adequately prepared or not, so its time for me to get ready.
While my ultimate career goal is to pursue journalism, I’ll be taking two gap years. I remember as an underclassman that I would overhear other seniors talk about gap years and didn’t think that was the best idea. I was sure that I was going straight to journalism school after Wofford. But things changed and I know taking this break is what is best for me at the moment.
I cannot emphasize how many things I thought I was sure about that have abruptly changed in my four years here, but that’s how college life goes. All I know is that I am hopeful that everything I’ve been through here – the ups andthe downs – will be worth it in the long run and that I will see success in order to help black women like me, who will be in my shoes in the future.
The time has come for me to look beyond Wofford and it has come sooner than I expected, but it’s a time that I have been waiting for because I believe that I have the capability to do great things outside of here as well.
