"If given the opportunity to paint a message on Bet..."

If given the opportunity to paint a message on Beta Bridge, I would be doing a disservice to myself if I chose anything else but the phrase “if there’s a will, there’s a way.” It’s something I tell myself, quite literally, everyday - often out loud. If something doesn’t pan out the way it I had hoped despite giving it my all , then I know there must be something bigger and brighter that will come along.

Observing the stress-riddled hallways at my high school, I overhear far too many of my classmates worrying that they do not have enough time to complete something or that they just “can’t do it”. But the truth is, nearly anything can be accomplished if you give it one hundred percent effort and dig deep to find the grit to make it happen. A reminder of these words on campus would serve as the same purpose that they do for me: reassure others that they can accomplish anything with grit and perseverance.

This phrase has played a role in my career as a student a and saved me on nights where I find myself sitting in a pile of homework or facing a hectic week. Outside of class, it has embodied the relationship with my closest friend, Stephen, who lives hours away from me. Through strategic facetiming and a continual flow of messaging, our friendship remains closer than most of my friends who live just minutes from my house: a result of both of us making an effort to see success.