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Seeing the flood of prospective students at Blue Devil Days this past week has brought back a flood of memories. I was in their shoes once, looking at Duke with fresh eyes, full of excitement and possibility. That was only a few years ago, but it feels like another lifetime.  I’ve learned and grown so much since then.  In many ways, I’m a different person. But my initial experiences at Duke have stayed with me.

During my freshman year, I lived in a dorm called Gilbert-Addoms, or GA. Everything I remember from that year is tied to my dorm.  I remember enjoying long meals at the Marketplace with the people who lived on my floor. I remember watching Obama’s inauguration on the TV in the common room.  And I remember thinking that graduation was an unfathomably long time away. Now, more than three years later, graduation is right around the corner, and it’s terrifying.

At the end of freshman year, we ordered dorm sweatshirts.  They were zip-up hoodies with a distinctive burgundy color, and the design was a detailed image of the dorm (which my future roommate drew on Microsoft Paint). It’s a great hoodie, and I’ve taken it to many exciting places.  It was with me when I went to the Marine Lab last weekend, and it was with me when I spent eight weeks in South Africa for a DukeEngage project.  Like my memories of freshman year, the hoodie has become slightly worn and faded, but I’ll always treasure it, wherever I go.

Take a look at some of the places it’s been so far: