I’m proud to have fulfilled my grandfather’s UMich legacy

Just 6 short years ago, my grandfather and I were sitting alone in my parked car, ready to begin a long ride to my sister’s college graduation at Syracuse.

For those of you who know me, you know that my Papa attended the University of Michigan himself and had more wolverine pride than I could ever express in words. He taught me “Hail to the Victors” before I could even speak, never failed to incorporate maize and blue into his everyday attire, and had a bumper sticker on his car which read, “oh how I hate Ohio State.” He would spot a fellow Michigan alum hundreds of feet away flaunting our block M and make it a point to become their new best friend.

His aura was exhilarating, and I found myself aspiring to be just like him, including dreaming of going to the best university in the world. In this car ride on our way to Cuse, we dove into a deep discussion on his perception of the meaning of life. While he bestowed his wisdom upon me, providing an uplifting view on this roller coaster of a universe he found himself in, he said one simple sentence that I would never forget. “No matter what I have been through,” he said with utmost certainty, “if I were to die tomorrow, I would die a happy man.”

These words held even more meaning when he unexpectedly passed away just a few weeks later. I made a promise to myself that I would do everything I could to make him proud of me, and I know that throughout these past four years, the best years of my life, he has been by my side every step of the way.

I wish more than anything that I could have told him about every single moment that I have been lucky enough to experience on this Ann Arbor campus – avoiding stepping on the M on my daily commute to class, crying in a corner of the Chem building after an Orgo exam that took the life out of me, ordering 3 AM cheesy bread with the 9 greatest people on the planet, and walking into the Big House on MY graduation day, 6 years later, while being swallowed by the tremendous maize and blue surrounding me. 

I came to Michigan to follow in my grandfather’s footsteps, and consequently found the most spectacular and unforgettable footsteps I could have ever asked for. And more importantly, I found a home. So, if you were to ask me about my college experience and the person I have become through attending the University of Michigan, I would have to say this – that if I were to die tomorrow, I would die a happy, thankful, and proud wolverine.