When Hillsdale accepted me in 2020, I knew I wanted to perform well in every aspect of my college life. I planned my academics to graduate in seven semesters, worked at least 10 hours a week between my multiple jobs, and obtained several leadership positions. I will graduate with a B+ average GPA in May. 

My one problem: I’m not graduating with honors. 

This is not something that I gave much thought to until I heard other classmates discuss their honors. Despite my hard work, my GPA is 0.1 too low to obtain honors. But upon further reflection, I realized I am glad I won’t be graduating with honors. 

The college recognizes a student graduating with honors if his or her GPA is 3.4 or higher. There are also departmental honors, which each department creates requirements for. 

Would I be happy to walk across the stage in May with honors? Absolutely. Everyone in the class of 2024 who is graduating with honors should be immensely proud of themselves. It is an outstanding accomplishment that should be applauded. 

But when I thought about the sacrifices required for me to have obtained honors, they were not worth it.

Like most Hillsdale students, my time is divided between what seems like one million things. I work three jobs, serve as an editor for The Collegian, have the top leadership position at the student radio station, and belong to a sorority. If I had given up some of these involvements, I could have dedicated more time to my studies — but I didn’t want to. 

The experience I have gained from the journalism department at Hillsdale is invaluable. Because of my work at The Collegian, every aspect of my academic life has improved. I spend well over 10 hours a week on Collegian tasks, which include writing and editing articles, attending meetings, and spending nearly the entire day in the Collegian office every Wednesday to design and edit the City News pages. I’m not graduating with honors, but I am a better writer and person because of The Collegian.

My work with Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM is something I am equally grateful for. It has brought me opportunities I never thought I would have, such as getting nominated for awards on a state and national level and traveling to New York City twice. My writing and speaking has improved in a way I don’t think any class could have helped with because of radio. 

I would have had more time to spend on my academics if I didn’t work three jobs, but I don’t regret working. Working at the college call center, career services, and Jitters has given me a great appreciation for my education. With the money I made, I helped pay for my tuition and all of my sorority dues. I’m not graduating with honors, but I appreciate my education more because I paid for it. 

Because I wanted to get the most out of my college experience, I chose professors and classes I knew would challenge me, rather than ones I knew would be easy. Some of the most difficult classes remain my favorite ones, even if my grade was not an A. When I took biology with Prof. Angelica Pytel, lecturer in biology, I experienced one of the most difficult classes of my college career. But Prof. Pytel remains one of my favorite professors because of her passion for science, her love for her students, and her kindness. I am forever grateful I had the opportunity to be challenged and humbled through difficult classes. I might have graduated with honors if I chose the easy classes, but the hard classes challenged and strengthened my perseverance. 

Some Hillsdale students are able to have a plethora of involvements and still graduate with honors. That is truly wonderful. But if you are someone who gave your all at Hillsdale and still won’t have honors, don’t fret. You were accepted to a school that now has an acceptance rate of 20%. Your school is important enough to be on The New Yorker’s radar. You’re a student at a school now ranked in the top 100 most competitive colleges in the nation, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. That’s reason enough to be proud. 

I would never trade any of my experiences to graduate with honors. Because of my involvements and jobs, I have been shaped into a human being much better than the one who was accepted in 2020. 

On May 11, I will walk across the graduation stage as a first-generation college student. And it won’t matter what my GPA is.