In the weeks leading up to my graduation from this institution, I’ve been able to look back at my four years here and one thing always stands out to me: You just never know what’s going to happen.

I remember my first few hours of being an Oswego State student. I figured I would go to class, do my homework and for the most part, be satisfied with just that.

That’s definitely not what happened though. I would join an organization that alone would influence me to declare another major, have multiple writing jobs, do an internship covering state government in Albany, volunteer for Habitat for Humanity over spring break, win a talent show, live in The Village, see Al Roker and Charlie Rose speak, cover the midterm elections, see my written work turned into a movie, visit Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Niagara Falls and across the ocean to Paris, France. Those are just a few things I thought I would never do in college.

Oswego State has been more than just going to classes for me. But that’s what I feel like college should be. “College is more than just the classroom,” is what I’ve been telling current and prospective students. It’s about making your education. Professors, advisers, counselors and your friends can only do so much. It’s up to you to take initiative and take advantage of the opportunities that come up because you don’t know if they’ll ever come again.

But to enjoy those things you never thought would happen, you have to realize that you’re in the right place at the right time. It’s not just about being lucky to be in that place. It’s about acknowledging it.

I knew I had to do an internship last summer, but didn’t know where to apply or where to look. I walked in The Oswegonian office one day where then News Editor Seamus Lyman just handed me a flier for an internship in Albany he was also applying for. I ended up applying, got accepted and The Legislative Gazzette turned into one of my most memorable experiences of college. I also signed up for a class that would travel to France in the spring, did the necessary paperwork and went on a plane for the first time.

Perhaps the story of how I got involved in the organization that I’m writing this article for is the most significant. It was the third day of my freshman year. A friend of mine told me about the infamous Involvement Fair, the event that showcases the clubs and organizations to freshmen and transfer students. We went there to find out if there was a club for badminton.

In the crowded room, my friend and I got separated. While looking for her and the badminton club, I came across the table for The Oswegonian. I signed up, went to the general interest meeting and wrote my first article.

The Oswegonian has defined my time here. It made me declare a double major in journalism. But even after a few articles, I thought I would just do it now and then. Two editor positions and more than 100 articles later, I sit here writing this, knowing that I was in the right place at the right time.

I never did end up doing anything with badminton.