One day, when I was around 13 years old, my mom and I decided it was time for me to get a new bed comforter, in lieu of the then-new bedroom furniture we had just bought. 

After browsing through countless aisles in countless stores, I finally came across a turquoise bedspread that, for whatever reason, stuck out to me at the time. Although it didn’t really fit the theme or vibe of my room, some part of me just had to have it. And so, without thinking twice, I immediately threw it into my cart, no questions asked. 

That vibrant comforter, which still sits on my bed in my childhood bedroom to this day, has since become a part of my life in a way. 

Now, I know it may sound silly to relate my life to an oversized blanket I’ve had for almost a decade, but it’s kind of true. And no, it’s not because of the color or feel of it, but rather, the words printed on it: “Make Waves.”

After a quick Google search way back when, I learned that it meant “to cause a stir, create a significant impression, or disturb the status quo.” If you were to ask my close friends and family, they’d probably say I’ve been doing that most of my life. Funny enough, I didn’t fully grasp that at the time. 

For the longest time, those words, and its idiom, meant absolutely nothing to me, and I never really gave it much thought. 

Flash forward to the tail-end of my senior year of high school, I finally realized that those words actually did mean something to me after essentially being forced to stare at it throughout all of the pandemic. 

During that time, I had to make arguably one of the hardest judgement calls of my life: deciding what college I wanted to spend the next four years of my life at. Wherever I ended up, I knew I wanted it to be a place where I could make waves.

Although Penn State had been in my blood ever since I was born, thanks to my dad being an alumnus, I was really conflicted. Given that my first Halloween costume was the Nittany Lion and that I grew up with a Penn State shrine in the bowels of my home, most of my family and friends thought it was a given. 

Being the indecisive person I am, I took a lot of time to carefully consider every possible outcome. From the jump, I knew I wanted a big school that matched my big personality, where I had a wide variety of opportunities both professionally and socially.  

After touring almost every school I was interested in, to no one’s surprise, I finally accepted my offer to Penn State. 

The summer going into college, I started to grow more into myself, while preparing for the next four years of my life. As my personality started to evolve and shape itself more, I knew I wanted to make a mark (or splash, if you will). 

The moment I stepped foot on campus, this time as a little freshman ready to take on the next chapter of life, I immediately befriended my fellow residents in Tener Hall, while checking out every possible club under the sun. 

Within my first month of college, I went spelunking for the first time, joined probably five different clubs, and met hundreds of people. Sure, I got involved in extracurriculars pretty quickly, fresh off the boat, but I still didn’t know if I was making a splash or not. 

Making new friends, luckily, has always been relatively easy for me. The only part I found hard was allowing all my quirks to peek through — I would put these walls up and just show the parts of me that I thought people would like. 

Throughout my first semester, I kept wondering what exactly my purpose at Penn State was. At the time, it was too early to tell, which was kind of hard for me. As someone as passionate and scatterbrained as I am, I was determined to take on bigger roles in Happy Valley. 

But, as I managed to find my way and explore what campus had to offer, I started to realize that I just had to take on whatever was given to me, no matter how big or how small. I also came to my senses a little bit and realized that I was holding myself back in a way by only showing some of my ripples, rather than the real-deal, unhinged Evan that I really am.

Once I had that epiphany, that’s when the real waves started to roll in. I started to do and say the things I would always think but would hold back out of fear that I wouldn’t fit in or would be seen as weird. 

With that in mind, I began to branch out more and finally started to get into my groove. Instead of being what I thought everyone around me wanted me to be, I finally showed the real me, hoping to leave a genuine impression on folks.

By showing my random, rambunctious side more, I was making friendships and connections that I still hold near and dear to my heart.

As I grew older [and kinda] wiser, gaining more experiences around campus, I started to appreciate all the little traits that made me me, even if some of them were (and still are) over the top.

Now, as a senior, still with a big personality (one that may not be everyone’s cup of tea), I keep striving to make a lasting impact not just here at Penn State, but rather, on each chapter of my life. 

Taking risks, stepping out of my comfort zone, acting spontaneously – those are some of the things that have helped shape some of my most defining moments and decisions in my college career. 

Circling back to that silly comforter that I became somewhat attached to and those words, “Make Waves,” I come to realize that I really did make some waves here. Sure, some of my ripples didn’t last as long as others, and some weren’t foreseeable, but really, it’s how I managed to find my place here and ignite that little spark inside me. 

Waves are known to be in motion, rising and falling constantly. Throughout college, I’ve been met with highs, and I’ve been met with lows, kind of like waves.

If the past four years of college have taught me anything, it’s that causing a commotion, causing ripples, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Waves are meant to crash and fizzle out eventually, whether you predict when that is or not.

If I can offer any piece of [unsolicited] advice, it would be just two simple words: make waves.

Don’t stick to the “status quo” and act how you think you should to please the people around you. Just do what you want and live your life, even if it rocks the boat; sometimes things need to be shaken up or changed, whether you like it or not. 

Just go with the flow, keep up the motion, and let the wind take you wherever you’re meant to be. If you hold yourself back from that, you’ll just sink. The waves may get rocky, and you might lose your place, but in the end, you’ll float.

Thank you, Penn State, and Onward State, for letting me swim my way up and make waves. Without this special school and this special, special blog that has shaped my college career for the better, I wouldn’t have been able to find the ripples that have gotten me to where I am today.

Although it’s time for me to hop onto the next boat, whatever that may be, this isn’t a goodbye, it’s a “see ya later.”

Take care of yourself, folks.