I still find it nearly impossible to believe that I will be entering my final year as a McConnell Scholar in the fall. The three years I have spent in the McConnell Scholars Program feel as though they went by in three days. The opportunities I have been given, and the experiences I have gained, cannot be summed up in one simple blog post; the numerous wonderful memories I have imprinted in my mind are even more difficult to articulate. I have been an extremely active member of the program, but seeing the time fly by, I still cannot help but feel as though I took the program for granted. Entering my senior year, I want to take advantage of every element of the program to the greatest extent possible.
As difficult as it is to believe that I will be considered a senior in just a couple weeks, it is even more astonishing that I will be leaving for China in just 19 days. This trip has been approaching for three years, yet I never fully grasped the idea that I would be going. The thought of it finally being my class' turn to travel Chinese cities and the countryside is mind-boggling. It is our turn to discuss politics and culture at a university halfway across the world. At the next Scholars' retreat, we will be the ones sitting in front of 30 other students sharing of our journey and trying to prepare them for what lies ahead and the trip that they feel as though they may never reach.
As I attempt to prepare for what the next year holds, I look back at the three years I have spent here and am thankful for the times that I have shared with my fellow Scholars. This program has given me the chance to meet world leaders, discuss classic books, develop as an student, teacher, and friend, but most of all, it has allowed me to enjoy my undergraduate career more than I ever thought possible.