Dear Diary,
I can’t believe the big day was almost a year ago. A somber, yet cheerful day. Graduation. I know how crazy it sounds, but graduation was filled with so many emotions: fear, excitement, regret, anger, pride, and even a little sadness. It felt like every memory from the last four years was trying to fit into a single moment.
Part of me was thrilled to be finishing this chapter of my life, finally, but another part of me wasn’t ready to let it go. Walking into the Ferrell Center that morning felt surreal. The huge arena was filled with families, friends, and classmates, all buzzing with excitement. I saw people I hadn’t spoken to in years standing just a few rows away from my closest friends.
In that moment, none of the awkwardness or distance from the past mattered. No hard feelings were shared—just smiles, hugs, and the quiet understanding that we had all made it to the same finish line together. It was a rare moment of peace. Sure, the second we crossed that stage and were handed a diploma, we would officially become alumni. But standing there in our caps and gowns, it still felt like we were the same students who had nervously stepped onto campus four years earlier.
The feeling of walking across the stage is something I’ll never forget. It felt freeing, almost like time slowed down for just a second. As I took those steps, my Baylor memories flooded my head, bringing me back to my very first day on campus—moving into my dorm, meeting new friends, and realizing that Baylor was going to become my home.
Afterward, hugging my favorite professors and returning to my seat made it all feel real. Then we sang “Good Ol’ Baylor Line” together for the first time as alumni. In that moment, I realized everything we knew was being left behind in the Baylor Bubble. Life outside was coming fast, full of changes and uncertainty.
But despite everything, every late night, every challenge, and every memory—it was all worth it just to say, “I went to Baylor.”
Kassidy Tsikitas (’25)
Waco, Texas
