“This part of your life’s journey truly was unlike any experienced by those before you. And while these years tested — and maybe even, at times, strained — your resolve, I also know they have strengthened you in ways you’re only beginning to understand. You have persevered and you have triumphed.” — Philomena V. Mantella, Grand Valley State University president, 2023

This weekend, Grand Valley State University’s Class of 2024 will walk across the stage at Van Andel Arena in downtown Grand Rapids.

A year ago, that was me, Class of 2023, and one of 3,043 who graduated that semester.

I sat in a sea of GVSU blue with my fellow College of Liberal Arts and Science graduates, waiting for my five seconds of fame walking across the stage.

The good news, other than getting my degree, was I didn’t fall on the stage and they kind of pronounced my name right.

I celebrated with friends and family the night after commencement and started packing to go back home the next day.

And, just like that, my four years at the university were over.

I’ve reflected on those years and all the classes I had. I miss it, sometimes.

Since I was a studio art and writing major, I took lots of art and writing classes, of course. The best parts of it all were the variety of things I was able to try, keeping my mind fresh, and challenging me at the same time.

I miss the art classes, though I don’t miss the prices of materials. None of it was cheap. I dropped a pretty penny for each class, yet, somehow, it’s all worth it.

For instance, since I’m not planning on pursuing a career in metalworking, when else would I have been able to make my own jewelry or framed candle holder?

I worked with machines I never would have otherwise in three-dimensional classes, like jewelry/metalwork and printmaking.

When I started at The News and saw the giant press we have in-house, the singular presses I used at GVSU seemed minuscule. At that time, though, they felt massive — intimidating and intriguing all at once.

Printmaking was a process unlike anything I’d done before.

I took three different print classes and enjoyed every one. We did almost every technique in the book, from relief work to screen printing, with etching and engraving mixed in.

There was a type of calm to the process, because the only way to do it right was one step at a time.

I enjoyed the stillness of drawing and other two-dimensional classes, as well.

Most days, we sat on our drawing horses with soft music in the background, doing our best to copy what was in front of us.

The number of drawing classes was plentiful.

I practiced architecture, still life scenes, life forms, and more. Each presented a new perspective and challenge.

Life drawing was a lot of fun, as we learned some anatomy along the way, some of which I took back to my roommates who were majoring in medical fields and were ultimately not that impressed with the new simple terms I learned that day.

We also had models as often as we could. Sometimes, it felt like I was living in a movie, but instead, I was living the experience.

Mixed in with all my art classes, I had writing classes as well.

I tried my hand at magazine writing, Web design, and writing for the Web, nonfiction, fiction, and more. I also saw the ins and outs of editing and publishing, in case I ever want to explore my options in literature.

Every day, I worked with other writers as we helped each other improve and got to see their perspective on a similar topic or genre.

It’s hard to realize the opportunities that a college experience and degree can give you when you’re in the midst of it all. The stress was often overwhelming and, sometimes, it was hard to see into the future when the present was so demanding.

But, now that I have my degree and am finding success in my career, I’m so happy and relieved to see what school offered me and what I learned, even when sometimes I wasn’t sure if I was learning at all.

Adding to the experience, my freshman year was cut short because of COVID-19, which led to my sophomore year being done remotely, too. I don’t even think about that as much, though.

I still had a good time and made memories I’ll take with me forever, as well as fields of knowledge in things I often forget that I know.

So I’ll take those memories with me, as I am now a Laker for a lifetime.

Torianna Marasco can be reached at 989-358-5686 or tmarasco@TheAlpenaNews.com.