Often I am asked what the one thing I

 will take away from my time at university is. I think back to all of my classroom lectures about P2 cameras and sociological theories, but even those lessons don’t add up to the life lessons I have learned from my friends.
Far too often people aspire to have the

 most likes on a post or plan to have the most friends show up for an event in their name. But I believe that the friends you make are more important than the amount you have.

As I get ready to walk the stage and grab

 my diploma, I think back to those who have been an influence on my time at Huntington.

Tashnah Dixon has taught me to live each

 day with happiness and a positive outlook. Whether it’s fainting on a paddleboat or dancing down the mall on campus, Tashnah has showed me that each day is worth going all out for. I randomly met this Jamaican girl sitting by herself in the HUB and that transformed

 into the relationship we have now. 
Logan Hunt has showed me how to keep moving

 forward even if I have three video projects and two essays. I mean, maybe it’s okay to skip class once in awhile because a Duke game is on, but he has taught me to not get caught up in the daily stress that is university.
Dawid Baronowski is probably the most

 politically-intelligent friend that I have. During the time of Trump’s journey to presidency, don’t even get me started, Dawid would educate me each day on what the newest information was on Clinton and Trump’s campaign. Also Dawid did a good job at teaching

 me how to pick and choose what I eat in the dining commons. Being told that I was eating all of my week’s calories in one sitting wasn’t what I wanted to hear, but looking back I can realize that Dawid was just looking out for me.
Finally, The Village. Each and every day

 they taught me to live each day to the fullest. Whether it was sitting in the dining commons for three hours and taking over the music or crawling across logs, The Village has provided some of my most memorable university moments.
I explain each of these relationships

 to show that it’s not the amount of friends I made that’s been influential, but the people I’ve befriended instead. These are the people that left an impact on me. These are the people who have influenced my university experience. I could have made hundreds

 of friends in my time here, but I’m content with the few that I have had the experience of growing closer to.