Dearest students,

This letter to you has been simmering in my heart for a long time. I can no longer avoid writing it because so many of you are graduating and I am so moved by everything that you have accomplished.

I remember when they asked me to teach news writing to you. It was one of those “you want me to do what?” moments. I had never taught anyone anything, but after about the third time Dr. Sha asked me, I agreed.

I had no idea what I was doing as a teacher. I’m sure that was clear to my first semester of students. The things I did know were journalism and how to care about you and your success.

Every day for five semesters, I showed up and I cared. Beyond caring, I found that I absolutely loved you.

You see, what truly happened was you brought me out of an extremely dark time in my life. I only know how dark it was upon reflection, because had I known at the time, I might not have made it out.

I looked forward to seeing your faces and hearing what you were up to and how much you did not want to do the homework or lab work. I loved how relentless you could be with your complaints or with showing up late or not paying attention or basically throwing your backs out to look the other way when I asked you to answer a question. I loved supporting you and encouraging you. I loved occasionally bending the rules for you when you were stressed or just slept late or life was just too damn much that week.

I have a friend who I would text about you and she would often reply, “Who’s teaching who?” It was so clear how much you were teaching me.

You know in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas?” the narrator says, “the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes that day”? That was me every day that I got to be your teacher. After five semesters, my heart became enormous and bursting with love and pride and sheer happiness to teach you about journalism and tell you dumb jokes.

Beyond journalism, there are a couple of other things that I really wanted to teach you as well. I wanted to teach you to care, to love, to follow your heart and your passion, to stand up for what you believe in, to dream, to take risks, to realize that there is joy in every single day.

I hope that I taught you these things. I hope I indoctrinated you with the love and care that I have for you. Between the crazy YouTube clips I used to illustrate journalism concepts and my obscure pop culture references, I hope I poured into you a passion for living.

Above all else, that is what I want you to have. Mess up your sentence structure and your verb tenses and use words incorrectly. Who cares about any of that? There will always be an editor to guide you.

Please, I beg you to never forget that you have just this one life to live to the hilt. I want you to live it fully as yourself and no one else.

All of these clichés are accurate: Follow your own North Star. March to the beat of your own drum. Listen to your heart. And my favorite from the one and only Matthew McConaughey: “Just keep livin’.”

When I left the university last fall, the most difficult thing to leave was you, because it was all of you who brought me back to life. There is no way to ever thank you enough or repay you for that. You were my light and my lifeline. You got me to just keep living.

I am so damn proud of you all. Go out there and do whatever the hell you want with your lives. Just, you know, make sure it is mostly safe and you’re having a lot of fun. Do it with all of your heart. Know that I am always here cheering you on.

I have said it before and I will say it again: If you need me I am here for you forever.

Love,
Holly