Five weeks. Thirty-five days. 840 hours. However you say it, that is how much longer I have until I walk across the stage and close the chapter on what many people call the “best time of your life.” I say this with many mixed emotions, knowing full well that there are many more “best times of my life” coming in the future, but also knowing that I will always look back at my time at TCU and remember the many incredible experiences and relationships I have been blessed with. As in most transition times in one’s life, this is a time of nostalgia balanced with a large amount of thinking about what’s next. With that, comes figuring out how to best close this chapter of my life in order to leave the impact I wish to leave. When it comes to my legacy project, this looks much different than I expected it to.
I feel as though the last nine months or so have really been preparation for a project that is just beginning. At times I feel jealous of my peers that see May 10th as an end to all the craziness of college life and the beginning of a fresh new start. But that jealousy only lasts so long and then I remember that I am pursuing something I have dreamed about doing for years, and as difficult and stressful as it is at times, I love what I am doing and am thankful I have had the opportunity to do something like this. I realize that few people have opportunities to start a business while in college and amongst incredibly talented and intelligent business minds. I could not have done this project without the help of many professors and classmates and am thankful that I was able to start now. The last thing I want to do after experiencing all of this support is to take it for granted and give up what I started. For this reason, I keep pushing, sometimes without any idea of where I am going.
My team and I have taken several action steps to ensure the sustainability of our project including scheduling a meeting with a potential manager, talking with an investor, and trying to find a facility. Though this should probably be the most pressing and stressful thing I have on my plate right now, I have lacked the sense of urgency one might expect in getting these things done. Ever since we began the project in August, I have had a strong feeling that it would work. That we would make it work in whatever way necessary. This feeling has carried over into the sustainability portion of my project. We have taken action but not much has come of it so far. But I am not discouraged because most of the year has felt similar to this. It’s as if we have been bulldozing along with our heads down and have just looked up to see what we’ve done. In the thick of things, you only notice the trees you didn’t knock down, but when you take the time to stop and look back, you realize you’ve accomplished more than you thought.
Sarah Nunley 