Just under two months from now, seniors at American International College will be walking up onstage at the MassMutual Center, in front of an arena filled with their family and friends. It’s a great moment in life for them, as they collect their diploma that represents the hard work they have put in as students at this school.

Most graduating seniors have stated that they are relieved to be finishing in May, while others are sad that their journey at AIC is coming to an end.

As for me, I am excited to start a new chapter in my life.

Other AIC seniors shared their thoughts.

Stephen Fobes, who will soon be earning a degree in Business Management, weighed in on his perspective as Commencement draws near.

“I have enjoyed my four years at the school,” Fobes said. “I have had a lot of great memories but I am looking forward to walking up onstage and collecting my degree.”

Being a student at small school like AIC, you tend to know pretty much everyone on campus, which in turn helps you develop great relationships with people from different areas – especially if you play on a team.

Christian Adams, a senior who will be receiving a degree in Criminal Justice, has happy thoughts about the College and his time spent here.

“I have enjoyed my time here at AIC, especially with the rugby team,” Adams said.

“Meeting people from different countries has been a great experience because I got the opportunity to learn more of their culture,” he added.

AIC is a known draw for students from different parts of the world.

Being from a different country myself, I really had the chance of learning about other people’s backgrounds and stories, and seeing what their thoughts and beliefs were. I would say it has made be a better person. It has certainly made me more diverse when it comes to interacting with others socially.

May 12 is literally right around the corner, and before you can even blink you’ll be applying for jobs in your field. That’s when the real world will begin.

Paying bills and looking after yourself independently will be a real task, but hopefully what you have learned in your four years at AIC school can help prepare you for any life challenges that are thrown at you.

From this day on, I still keep in contact with former students and they have all said that AIC prepared them for the real world. They miss the school and the people that they built relationships with, but four years was enough to move on to the next chapter of their lives.

I know most seniors will now be thinking about what their next path in life is – will it be going straight into a job or taking a year off? Maybe do some travelling? Whatever it is, they will eventually know what is the best move for them.

You never know – down the line, the relationships you developed at AIC might help you progress to the next stages of life.