Originally, this was a letter Reigel began crafting to her little brother, Banks, the second he became a member of the rising freshman class of 2019. She realized that this letter is one that could easily be shared with all Wofford students.

Dear Banks,

As my time at Wofford comes to a close, yours is coming to a bright and shining new beginning.

While you’re probably getting tired of all the sentimentality and commotion surrounding your high school graduation, hear me out for one last moment of sappiness. Please believe me when I say you are about to experience the greatest four years of your life at Wofford. Mom and Dad are going to drop you off on move-in day and you’re going to feel scared and excited at the same time all while trying to act tough watching their car drive away. You’ll probably fall madly in love at least five times within your first week of classes. Throughout the next few years you’ll discover your passion, build unbreakable friendships, travel the world, have your heart broken and undeniably forget to call Mom and Dad at least once a week to check in. The next thing you know you’ll be a senior living in The Village and within feet of 300 of your best friends. Senior year will begin and you’ll be on top of the world. There will come a time later in the year when you realize you can’t live at Wofford forever. At this moment you’ll start to panic. Don’t worry. You are surrounded by people that want nothing more than to see you succeed. You’re living among a thousand other students that know how hard you have worked and know what you are capable of. Wofford has primed you for success – given you a taste of both the good and the ugly. It is the experiences both in and out of the classroom that will make you an infinitely better person as you walk across the stage at graduation than you were when Mom and Dad dropped you off that first day. While I know that our experiences at Wofford will be entirely different, I know that they will both be amazing. When you’re walking around campus on your first day of classes this fall, keep your head up, look around you and realize that this is the place, these are the people and this is your new home. Never forget to look around you and capture every second. If you’re anything like me, you will carry little moments of Wofford around with you for the rest of your life.

Love,

Mills Reigel