I left work on Tuesday and drove the familiar route to what I once considered my home away from home. It was a quick hour and half drive filled with the beautiful, rolling hills of Iowa on full display in all it’s glory from the past week’s rain. I remember the first time I made that trip. It was just me and the car. I was beaming with excitement yet nervous for all of the unknowns. What would my roommate be like? Would the workload be harder than in high school? What if I forgot something at home? What if I hate it here? That first time driving to Wartburg was filled with lots of questions and very little answers. Then in the blink of an eye, I was making that same trip but in the opposite direction four years later. I won’t lie. I cried that day. Wartburg truly had become home to me. It was where I had my first taste of freedom, my first broken heart, my first real job and where I first discovered my passion for photography and business. It was also where I found my second family and where I got to meet this beautiful soul.

Allie was one of the first women recruited to play lacrosse at Wartburg. It was our inaugural season, she was a freshman and I was a junior. I remember the first time we met and being in awe of not only how great she was on the lacrosse field but of how strong she was off the field. Freshman year is always a battle, but she never let it get to her. I can’t even begin to describe how inspiring that was to me. But now getting to see her as a senior and being in the same place I was two years ago, I am once again in awe. Allie is one of the brightest stars that I met at college. Her kindness only grew with age and her personality, wisdom and humor are something I wish I could have had at her age.

Allie, thank you for being my lax pal before I even knew what a crease was and for leading by example even when you didn’t have to as a freshman. Your friendship means the world to me and it has been a gift getting to see you grow these past few years. I am so thankful that I got to hang out with you on the field one last time before you graduate. These past four years have flown by faster than I could have ever imagined. It still kind of blows my mind that you are graduating, but I have no doubt that wherever you end up you will do great things. So enjoy these last few days but take it from me, the real world will be filled with lots of questions and very little answers but trust me it is better than you could ever imagine!