Four years later: a senior’s goodbye

By: Tim Stepanek – Senior, Accounting

It has been four years since I first walked into my tiny Founders dorm room and officially became a Dayton Flyer.  After four years of being invited to seniors’ porches, late nights studying, a newly acquired coffee addiction, changing my major and minor twice, being the most stressed I have ever been in my entire life and finally becoming a senior and continuing the Dayton tradition of building a community that invites all people to my porch, how could I best describe my experience here at the University of Dayton?

“I don’t ever want to leave,” is my answer.

Why?  It may be the friendly student body that has no problem waving and greeting each other over crowds of students between classes. It may be how much I have enjoyed our professors that have been so helpful to me and my fellow students.  It may be our RecPlex and the amount of intramural sports I have participated in. It may be the many friends that I have made here over the years. It may be from that one time I high-fived President Curran when I was walking back from class last semester. It could also be how I have my own house on a street of houses with my fellow students and friends.  I do believe that I will never be so close to my neighbors street again.

In the past four years this university has become my home. My GPS even has “home” listed as 300 College Park instead of my parents’ home. This is the place where I grew up from a clueless high school student, mostly concerned with my high school sports teams, to a college senior with job interviews and an adult life after college on my mind. When I am asked by friends and relatives from home how I am enjoying college, I always answer that I would never want to go to any school other than UD. This is an answer that most people shrug off as being overzealous, except for my fellow Flyer alumni in my family and friend groups; they know the truth in what I am saying.

I have always wanted to express my love for this university and feel that one of the best ways to do so would be to write a few suggestions for the younger students reading this article.

First, meet as many people as you can and never ask someone, “Who do you know here?” It is a Dayton tradition to never ask this question and be inviting to everyone, wherever you are or whatever event it is. That person you do not know could very well be your future best friend, or someone who gives the referral that gets you your first job or internship.

Join at least one intramural team. No matter the league or sport, it is something you will remember for years to come.

Take a class that is not required for your major, preferably something you find interesting, and see if you would rather make that your major or add it as a minor. Take an economics class with Barbra John. You will have a blast.

Be nice to the ladies in the Marianist student community, they have all of the people they know over to eat their baked goods.

Continue the tradition of being super friendly during the school week and saying hi to all the students you see that you know.

And lastly, in my opinion, the best places to live are: Founders ffirst-year, VWK sophomore year, Woodland Junior year, and Lowes Senior year.

Thank you Dayton for the best four years of my life. Go Flyers!