My final fall semester at Hamilton was a whirlwind of classes, campus activism, and post-grad planning. I took five courses and buckled down for my most rigorous and academically fulfilling semester yet. My courses included Feminist Research Methodologies, Black Feminist Thought, Queer Literature, Sociology of the Family, and an independent study titled “Exploring Restorative Justice for Sexual Harm on College Campuses.” The independent study, which will evolve into my senior thesis in Women’s and Gender Studies next semester, continuously inspired me as I dove deep into restorative justice theory and practice, received funding to attend two trainings on the topic, and interviewed practitioners all over the country. At the end of the semester, I submitted a 40-page document outlining my findings and felt energized by all I had learned. When I wasn’t head down in my books, I served as co-president of Survivors Making Activism and Radical Transformation (SMART), a grassroots student organization combatting rape culture on campus. In October, my SMART co-leaders and I installed a surprise art display on a major campus walkway depicting the number of reported rapes at Hamilton the prior year. Through SMART, I also used my new understandings of restorative justice to facilitate a community-building circle with a campus fraternity on the topic of toxic masculinity. In between my classes and on-campus involvement, I somehow managed to find time to apply to four graduate programs for macro-level social work with a plan to begin next fall, should I be admitted (fingers crossed!). I could not have received this transformative education at Hamilton College for the last four years without the significant financial support of MVYouth. Thank you for seeing my potential and putting me on the path to pursue a fulfilling career in social service.