Sitting at the Senior Lunch for the Luther Hodges Scholars Program was the first time it really hit me that I would be leaving UNC Chapel Hill in two weeks. Up until that moment, graduation had been sitting quietly in the back of my mind. I knew it was coming, but I had not fully processed what it meant. That changed as I listened to my peers reflect on the memories we have built together. In that room, it became real. I started to understand that his chapter, one that has shaped so much of who I am, is coming to a close.
What stood out to me most during those reflections was not just the experiences we have had, but the environment that made those experiences meaningful. The Luther Hodges program created a space where it never felt difficult to be yourself. No matter who you were talking to, whether it was someone you spent an entire summer with or someone you barely knew, there was always a sense of comfort. It never felt forced. It always felt like the person across from you genuinely had your best interest at heart.
That sense of connection is something I first began to experience during my summer in Madison, Wisconsin, interning with CLIMB USA. Going into that experience, I was nervous. It was my first time living away from home for an extended period, in a completely new environment with people I had never met before. That uncertainty did not disappear on its own. We lived together, spent our weekends exploring Madison, showed up to professional events, and worked side by side on our final project. Through those shared experiences, we learned how to trust each other, support each other, and navigate challenges as a team. By the end of the summer, what started as uncertainty had turned into a strong sense of connection.
I realized just how meaningful those relationships had become when our mentor, Bob, came to visit at UNC months after the summer ended. He brought his wife, Millie, and the six of us picked up conversation as if we had never left Madison. It felt like we were continuing something that had never really paused. Bob left a lasting impact on me. The way he carried himself, the respect he earned from those around him, and the way he continued to show up for us even after the internship ended reshaped how I think about leadership. He did not just guide professionally. He showed us what it means to invest in people. That is something I hope to carry forward, especially if I am ever in a position to mentor others.
As I prepare to leave UNC, I feel a mix of pride and nostalgia. I am proud of my cohort and everything they are going to accomplish, but more than anything, I keep coming back to the friendships we have built along the way. The Hodges program bought us together, but it was never meant to be the endpoint. This is not a chapter closing; it is the beginning of a new one. What we created here does not exist only within UNC or within the timeline of the program, but instead continues with us, wherever we go next.
If we want to carry forward what made this experience so special, it will take intention. Life will get busy, and priorities will change. But the strength of this community has always come from showing up for one another, even in the smallest ways. Sometimes that simply means picking up the phone, checking in, and reminding someone that you are thinking about them. Because at the end of the day, the Luther Hodges Scholars program did not just give us opportunities, it gave us each other and that is something worth holding onto.
