I’ve thought about having to write this column for a long time. It’s amazing for me to see how the script of what I thought I would say has changed as I’ve grown as a student, a writer and a person. In many ways, I’ve dreaded this column. As I sit just a few days from graduation, bittersweet seems a feeble word to sum up my feelings about leaving the Capstone.

For the past three years, I’ve been given the extraordinary opportunity to write in this space. I’m truly lucky to have been able to document my thoughts and critiques in a very public forum. I don’t take this space for granted, and I’m so thankful for the people who have provided me the inspiration and freedom to share my opinion on issues that matter to me.

From reforming block seating, to enacting measured progress in our greek system, to holding our student leaders to a higher standard of accountability, I wanted to provide a different perspective instead of merely accepting the way things have always been. While my positions have often been unpopular within certain circles, I always tried to show the other side of the coin and push others to consider another point of view.

I admire and appreciate all of the feedback, good and bad, I’ve received in comments, through emails and in person over the years. I’m thankful for the students who took the time to read my columns. I’m thankful for the administrators who were always willing to meet with me to dissect issues and discuss ways to make our university better.

While there is no question that we still face a difficult road to progress, I’ve never felt so optimistic that one day we will get there as I do with the administrative leadership that we have now. But we must never stop challenging ourselves to think bigger, and we should always question our leaders when we grow complacent. We must tackle the “schoolhouse doors” that we still face on our campus, accepting a mindset that moving forward sometimes requires facing uncomfortable realities.

In keeping with senior column fashion, I’m supposed to offer some sort of advice to my fellow students as I leave a place where I’ve learned innumerable lessons about life, relationships and what truly matters in our individual pursuits of happiness. You can take it with a grain of salt, but I believe there is a lesson in every opportunity that comes into our lives.

To my fellow graduating class, what a ride it’s been. We’ve celebrated and rallied during the highest of highs as the winningest class of students in university history. From national championships, unprecedented growth of our student body, even the selection of the first woman to lead our campus, it has truly been an exciting time to be a part of this university.

But we’ve also experienced the lowest of lows. Not one person in Tuscaloosa on that fateful April afternoon walked away from the tornado unaffected or without a story. That day, we felt loss. Yet even in the midst of such tragedy, we persevered as one community, one whole. May we always remember that together we are infinitely stronger. Our unity triumphs all destruction.

Get outside of your place of comfort. Be controversial. Allow yourself to find inspiration in obscurity. Keep an open mind, and foster real dialogue. Strive to make a measurable difference. But most of all, live an authentic life. In my own experience, I’ve found that living honestly and with purpose is the only way to truly grow.

I can’t end this column without thanking every single person who has played a role in making the past four years all I could ever have asked for and more. Thank you for reading over the years. Thank you for the laughs, the friendships, the wins and the losses. Thank you for sharing your own lives with me. Thank you for your unconditional acceptance. Thank you for the great memories.

Austin Gaddis was a senior majoring in communication studies. He is the outgoing president of The Anderson Society.