Senior Farewell by Sushaan Modi | 10, 319 faces, 10,319 stories

1 0,319 faces. 10,319 stories.

Each student is a valedictorian or a varsity athlete, a Siemens finalist or a polyglot. There are runners and coders, dancers and poets. There are future bankers and future teachers, future doctors and future PTA members.

In short, Penn is an amazing place with so many diverse and talented people, but it is a hard place to fit in. Pressure and anxiety are a normal part of life. We’re over-stressed, hyper-competitive and motivated to be the best. But deep down, I honestly believe that our college experience hinges on the ability to connect with people.

I have been fortunate enough to have had a wonderful time at Penn, but after talking to many friends over the past few weeks, I think a positive college experience is a lot rarer than I originally thought.

I like to believe that I enjoyed my time because I have found a set of communities that are fulfilling and supportive, empathetic and instructive. I found a set of groups that have challenged me to be a better person, have taught me to appreciate others’ differences and at the same time to learn from others’ experiences.

Penn is full of communities. Cultural communities. Performing arts communities. Academic communities. Greek communities. Senior communities. Random coincidence communities.

Sometimes these communities are interconnected and sometimes they aren’t. But to be honest, I like having these different groups. I like having these different families. They are the support, the backbone and guidance that we need every day. These families bring together their unique perspectives from all over the world from a continuum of economic backgrounds with a unique set of values.

These communities have inspired me to be a more compassionate person and to understand that every face has a unique story. They have motivated me to work a little harder, not so that I can compete with a curve, but that I can compete with myself. They have cheered me up when things looked hopeless, and cheer to others when things get down. They have helped me overcome grief and reorient my priorities.

Each community — each family — is the reason I have finished Penn and am a better person for it.

And that’s why I would hope you continue to grow and nurture these communities. For underclassmen, cherish your friendships and go out of your way to help others. Give back with advice, wisdom and time. For seniors, realize that physical distance does not have to equate to emotional distance. The communities you formed at school will invariably change, but not the sense of friendship.

Most importantly, remember that the concept of community is never fixed. I learned that during my junior year when the most difficult moment of my college career brought me closer to old friends and helped introduce me to new ones. Perhaps the most dangerous thing we can do is put ourselves out there, to open ourselves, to try and connect with people. But without that risk, we can’t be rewarded with the communities we hope to find, the ones in which we are meant to belong and the ones that we have yet to form.

I want to thank everyone who has touched my life here at Penn. I hope I have, however briefly, done the same.

Here is to Penn, and the many new families who have made me who I am.

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