In case you are wondering…. no, this is not about any of the Terminator movies. In fact, now that I think about it, it does involve some terminating, not the one in which evil killing machines controlled by an evil computer destroys the human race, but something less devastating that requires more than twice the effort and money than that needed for world damnation…. the culmination of a degree.

Although I might be exaggerating a little, getting a degree is not an easy process; it requires a lot of dedication, sacrifice and good judgment to determine what is and isn’t a priority, but not forgetting that it requires a lot of patience as well.

I’m not necessarily saying that you need to keep your eyes in your books 24/7 or that instead of studying you need to become some sort of a party animal. What I’m trying to say, is that it’s really important for you to find a balance between your family, friends, partner, school and why not, some time for yourself too won’t do you any harm.

As a future graduate, my legacy to you all will be the advice to get the most out of your college life. With a student population close to 20,000, it’s nearly impossible to know everyone. But by joining a club, an organization, or even getting a part-time job here on campus, the probability of meeting new people increases.

Take me as an example; I’ve been working at The Pan American Newspaper as an Advertising/PR manager for more than 3 years with absolutely no regrets. Having zero background in those subjects, I got to learn and do things I would have never imagined I would be achieving before finishing my degree. I got to attend several conferences all over the country, sell close to 1,000 ads (making a revenue of more than $180,000), organize conferences for high school kids, meet amazing and talented people throughout the years and even got the opportunity to write my own story. But, if that was not enough, I joined UPB (University Program Board) during my freshmen year, and became a member of SAE (Society Of Automotive Engineers) where building an off-road car has been a hobby for more than 3 years. And last but not least, become an intern at the Office for Sustainability, which has given me the opportunity to learn about the huge impact we can all make in our community by making small changes to our way of life.

Overall, I’ve had an amazing time all these years of college, I admit it, It hasn’t been easy at all, but the satisfaction of being part of all these projects and meeting all these amazing people. It’s just priceless. So “Hasta la Vista, UTPA!!” Thank you for everything and good luck to you all.