By Andrew Santis

The year 2012 seems like a long time ago. There was Barack Obama’s historic re-election, Amanda Bynes’s DUI arrest and we cannot not forget the Drake-Chris Brown brawl. Many thought the world would end as well.

For the Class of 2016, 2012 meant something much greater: the end of high school and the start of college at Fordham.

For many of us in the graduating class, the start of college on Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012, was a significant moment. That day brought mixed feelings, as well as the start of a clean slate. It marked the day we entered unfamiliar territory, and we approached with caution.

Regardless of what we were going through that day, all of us had one thing in common: we invested in a Jesuit college education.

College is expensive. Student loan debt burdens college graduates all over the country. Despite this, we and our families still value a college education.

A college education is not just about going to lectures and taking major courses; it is also about the experience as a whole. The college experience cannot be matched. What you get to learn about yourself and the world for four years is unique, revealing and life-changing.

It is an experience all should embrace. College is the time to ask questions, try new things and develop who you want to be. There is nowhere else can you get a similar experience with a supportive community.

Here at Fordham, we get that experience and more. My Fordham education went above and beyond my initial low expectations.

I was pretty critical about college my first semester, and looking back now I cannot believe I was so ignorant about how great college really is.

I had limited choices when choosing a college, and Fordham was the most expensive. Although my mom had doubts about paying the expensive annual tuition for four years, she took a leap of faith because she saw the value and importance of a college education. My job was to make the most out of that investment.

It took some time for me to get into the swing of things at Fordham, but it took a good cry on one of my commutes back home on the Metro-North to realize that bigger and better things waited for me in college. My college education did not only consist of Ground Floor and Faith and Critical Reason.

I complemented my classes with numerous roles and programs that enhanced my education twofold.

Becoming a student leader allowed me to be an active member of the community. Studying abroad in London and Tokyo made me want to learn more about the different people and cultures of the world.

Participating in a GO! project gave me the opportunity to serve families in need in Quito, Ecuador.

I accomplished all that and more thanks to Fordham’s three Jesuit values — Magis, Cura Personalis and Homines Pro Aliis — which the University hopes that its students will incorporate during their time here. It is my sincerest hope that you, the Class of 2016, experienced and carried out those values in your own way as well.

With 18 days left until graduation, we should take the time to reflect on how great our Fordham education was and to thank everyone — administrators, professors, roommates and friends — who made our experience memorable. To the underclassmen reading this, I implore you to take advantage of every opportunity Fordham offers you. You do not want to miss out on this extraordinary journey.

Andrew Santis, GSB ’16, is a marketing major from Flushing, New York.