A word that surrounds this semester for me has been gratitude. Amherst this fall made me reflect on how lucky I am to have a college experience because of MVYouth. I was able to live with three of my best friends in a house off campus this fall, and I felt very fortunate to have this experience.This semester at UMass I have felt myself growing and maturing intellectually and emotionally. Though I have learned so much academically at UMass, I’ve also learned a lot as a person. This fall I had the opportunity to work for School of Earth and Sustainability (SES) as their admin and operations intern. I was able to work with an intern team to collaborate on events that we hosted to promote sustainability across campus. This experience was refreshing and was nice to work for an organization that aligned with my personal interests. I was able to make so many valuable connections through this experience, and SES made me realize how interconnected the eco-community truly is. I was able to still interact with past coworkers from my internship last spring with the UMass Water Resources Research Center which was exciting. SES made me expand on my interest in the natural sciences, and I officially declared my Geology minor this fall. The semester flew by which was bittersweet. I’m proud of what I achieved this semester, and look forward to the next while also trying to stay in the moment. Next semester I have taken the opportunity to study abroad at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. I’m ecstatic about studying abroad and feel fortunate. I’m most excited to see the biodiversity in Australia and have already signed up for an exploratory coastal management class! I’m feeling a mixture of excitement, anxiety, and longing. I will miss my friends and the UMass community dearly next semester, but am thrilled to see what Australia will bring. I wouldn’t be able to do this without MVYouth’s help!