Now that the spring semester has started at AIC, seniors are experiencing a range of different feelings as their college experience comes to an end. Some are feeling ready and excited to open the door to their new chapter of life. On the other hand, others are feeling nervous and anxious about what is next to come with closing this chapter of their lives.

Students work hard in the classroom for four years or longer to earn a degree that will help them in their future careers. However, most students do much more than studying and going to class. A lot of students work to help pay off student loans and to help pay for outside expenses while attending college. At AIC, there is a huge population of student athletes who excel both in the classroom and in athletics.

Three AIC seniors were interviewed who have had three different experiences while attending AIC. These seniors expressed how they are feeling as their last semester of college begins.

Jaelyn Towle is a senior at AIC who is majoring in Business Management and will receive her bachelor’s degree this May. Towle is a very well-known face on campus who is very active in AIC’s community. In her early years at AIC, she had a work-study job with Residence Life and has helped Residence Life become what they are now. She has been an Orientation Leader for three years and was a group leader this year. Currently, she has a work-study job with the fitness center where she greets and helps people at the gym.

Towle is also a very busy person outside of AIC, working multiple jobs to help pay for college.

During the spring 2023 semester, she studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain to experience learning in a different country.

Towle expressed her feelings about graduating. “It’s a bittersweet moment that everything that I have worked for in my life is coming to an end,” Towle said. “But I know that means there are a million doors to open.”

After graduation, Towle plans on continuing to work as a bartender so she can enjoy her first summer back living in her childhood house. She hopes to go back abroad to start her business career in the fall.

Abby Wells is a senior in the criminal justice program. She is a double major in criminal justice and psychology, and she is minoring in fraud and financial crimes. Wells is also a senior on the softball team here at AIC. She has been starting in center field all four years of her college career. Wells is a vital member of the team as she is a leader who helps the team to succeed. Last semester she completed an internship with the DEA in the Springfield office. While accomplishing her internship she learned a lot of information and got a glimpse of what her future career will look like.

As the softball season is around the corner, Wells spoke about how she is feeling about this chapter of her life closing. “I am extremely sad to have my softball career coming to an end,” Wells said. “This has been who I am for the past twenty-two years. However, all good things must come to an end, and I feel like I can walk away from the game proud of the player I was and all I’ve been able to accomplish.”

Currently, Wells is in the process of becoming a New Hampshire state trooper. If the rest of the process goes smoothly then she will be going to the academy a month after graduation.

Kianna Reilly is a senior in the nursing program. The nursing program at AIC is a very intense program that takes a lot of dedication to succeed in. Reilly manages to succeed in nursing school while still being a part of AIC’s community. She also works a job as a waitress at a restaurant in West Springfield to help pay for college.

From time to time, senior students can get senioritis and lose motivation to do schoolwork. Reilly expressed ways that she stays motivated during her last semester of nursing school. “I remind myself that I’m almost done,” Reilly said. “I also make sure I keep my routine and hang out with my friends to let loose.”

After graduation, Reilly will take her NCLEX exam to become an RN. She plans on working as a NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) nurse in Massachusetts for two years. After that, she plans become a travel nurse to explore the world while working her dream job.

Graduating college is a huge accomplishment that should be cherished and celebrated. It is the day that students get to see that everything they have worked for was all worth it. Stepping into the world after college can be scary. But it is also exciting to see what the future holds.