Collegiate Times

We?ve finally reached the time of year when the sunny, beautiful days outweigh the gruesomely bleak ones. It?s now seasonably correct to wear flip-flops and skipping class is more of a guilty pleasure rather than just a guilty feeling. The turning of the season and the opening of restaurant decks downtown signify one inevitable thing ? graduation. A mix of emotions hangs in the air for graduating seniors. As they enjoy their last few Tuesday nights at Top of the Stairs, freedom to nap during the day and eat off of a meal plan, reality slowly, but surely, nestles into place. Kim Burick, a senior accounting major, recalls her favorite memories of Tech and what she?ll take away with when she graduates.

?I?m going to miss all of my friends being here and being able to just hang out with them. When you work there?s going to be different stresses with money and real-life problems; and here, you?re basically getting paid to do your school work and be with your friends,? she said.

Burick will be returning to her hometown outside of Pittsburgh, Pa., where she plans to work for the accounting firm Price Waterhouse Coopers. She?s not worried about the move, but does worry about having to adjust to living with her parents again.

A two-time orientation leader and member of numerous organizations, Burick leaves behind four full years of memories. ?I think my fondest memories are being an orientation leader for two years in a row, getting to know different classes of freshmen, and also getting to know the orientation leaders and more about the university,? she said. ?I?ll miss Tuesdays at TOTS and going out every Thursday night. Things that I won?t really be able to do when I?m older.?

Kyle Keno, a senior civil engineering major, will be moving to Richmond, Va., for his new job at Dunbar, Milby, Williams, Pittman & Vaughan, a structural engineering firm.

Keno and Burick have been dating for over five years, and this isn?t the first time they?ve had to endure a long-distance relationship. They plan to visit each other as often as possible.

While there are lots of things they will miss, there?s one thing for sure they will not miss ? homework. ?I won?t miss staying up all night studying for an exam or feeling really stressed about a test that I know will never help me in what I?m going to do. I won?t miss studying at all,? Burick said.

Keno, nodding his head in agreement, added, ?I?m not going to miss school work, tests, finals week and definitely not labs.?

Ben Hood, a senior computer science major, also won?t be missing homework. Originally from Massachusetts, Hood will be moving to Washington, D.C. after graduation to work for High Performance Technologies Inc. Hood recalls first applying to colleges and knowing Virginia Tech was the only school for him.

?I never doubted for a second that Virginia Tech was where I wanted to be as far as college, and to this day I would never go anywhere else. I?ve absolutely loved my experience here,? Hood said. ?I?ve had great professors, a great education and a great time. As soon as I stepped on the campus here I knew this was the right school for me, it was actually the only school I applied to.?

For a senior on the precipice of graduation, nothing is black and white. While it?s tough to leave friends and a comfortable environment, there?s more out there to experience, all three agreed.

?Being a senior is a cool time because you get to think and dream about things that are going to happen in the near future, but you?re still in a setting where you can be irresponsible and lazy,? Burick said.

She continued, ?It?s definitely sad to leave all of your friends and leave where you?re comfortable, but it?s just the start of something new and it?s definitely an awesome thing to look back on college and be able to say you?ve done everything that you wanted to do and you had fun with all of your friends so you can leave Tech at a time where you still love it and it still brings good memories back. I think four years is just the right amount of time.?

Hood and Burick both began their job search on e-recruiting, Virginia Tech career service?s website for those searching for jobs. By posting their resumes on the e-recruiting site, different employers were able to look at their resumes and contact them for interviews. Keno found his job on Virginia Tech?s civil engineering website.

The past four, five, maybe even six years have been your best and you?ve finally come to this realization now that you?re graduating. As sad or as happy as you are to be graduating from dear old VPI, the future is in your hands ? so grab a hold and enjoy the ride.