My college experience has been defined by two porches. One porch on West Beaver Avenue and one porch on East Nittany Avenue. 

I’ve been lucky to spend hours upon hours on each porch in good company, turning afternoon sunshine into late nights and early mornings, often from the comfort of a pretty big chair. 

Friendships were formed, stories were written, hot dogs were grilled, games were played, zucchinis were roasted, birthdays were celebrated, big chairs were shared, relationships were built, karaoke was sung, cops were called, and memories were made. Countless moments were squeezed into my four years at Penn State, and I’m grateful so many took place on the porches that mean so much to me. 

But at the end of the day, it’s never about the place. It’s about the people… Unless you’re me and you have the best porch in the greatest college town in America. 

The people are what make college — and life — so special. I’m fortunate enough to be a reflection of everyone around me, whether I adopt the goofy mannerisms of my roommates or try my best to emulate the creative, unwavering zest of those who came before me.

It’s awesome to have a place so hard to say goodbye to, but it’s even cooler to have folks who I know will be in my life forever and are a part of me every day.

I owe a lot to this silly blog for so many of the people and the places. It was here I discovered myself as a storyteller, a leader, a social media manager (?), a best friend, a disciple of the Oxford comma, a lover of A’s Pub, and a girl who really just likes to sit on a porch with her people. 

I gave everything I had to Onward State for quite some time. I’ve done nothing as hard in my life as leading this organization, but man, we sure did have some fun. Even through the sleepless nights, threatened lawsuits, unpaid work, and more, we wrote and photographed damn well. 

The grit and grind are rewarding, and it’s awesome to be the first to a scoop or feel pride in a feature, but there’s something so comforting about knowing that porch time always awaits, regardless of the good moments or the bad moments.

I mean, I accidentally deleted Onward State’s Twitter account with 170,000 followers for four days in September 2023, but I got to celebrate my 21st birthday on the porch the night the account was reinstated. Whirlwind!

No matter the stress or sticky situations life and leadership have presented me, the porch and the people I love most are always waiting to sing “Home” and “Shout!” with me into the wee hours of the morning.  

When I was a freshman, one of my senior friends told me I’d be ready to graduate when the time came. I didn’t believe him until recently, and it took me a long time to realize that leaving Onward State, Penn State, and Happy Valley behind would really be OK. 

I know that now, and I know there are never endings. Only beginnings. 

There are new experiences, new cities, new moments, and new porches to discover. I’m so lucky for what’s been and excited for what’s ahead. 

And no matter where I am, it’s porch time somewhere. On a balcony, through a window, on a plane, train, or bus, in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Georgia, or anywhere in the world, within the people you meet, or just always in mind. Find your porch and fill it with the people you love. That’s what it’s all about.