Congratulations to the Class of 2019! Looking back at your college experience, and your senior year specifically, what experiences and people stand out to you the most? In the course of your Brandeis experience, what moments will you look back on most fondly?

Maddox Kay ’19

Freshman year, I took Morality and Market Society with Prof. Strand, and Opinion Writing with Prof. McNamara. These courses, while completely different, were formative in my Brandeis experience; a column I wrote for Opinion Writing was my introduction to the Justice. Some other memories include my short but sweet time on the track team, and studying in the Hague Finally, in my last semester I took two of my favorite classes at Brandeis: Stories of America at Work with Prof. Schratz and Environmental History of the Americas with Prof. Lorek. As I get ready to graduate, these classes helped me think about the working world ahead as well as how we interpret and interact with the spaces around us. Professors Jim Mandrell, Daniel Breen, and Matthew Schratz, friends Mason Bromberg, Bryan McNamara, Max Byer, Sophie Sinclair, and my girlfriend Dylan Corn, among others, made my time at Brandeis unforgettable. My four years wouldn’t have been the same without Alpha Epsilon Pi or the Justice, and I look forward to visiting again soon.

Maddox Kay is a Sociology major, with minors in Legal Studies and Hispanic Studies, and was a Forum columnist for the Justice.

Valerie Janovic ’19

As a transfer student, my experience at Brandeis has been slightly different from most. Rather than notice the incredible atmosphere and endless opportunities at this school and classify them as the typical college experience, I noticed precisely how Brandeis is unique. At Brandeis, we have CAs rather than RAs because our dorms are a community, not just a residence hall, and while the sentiment is undoubtedly cheesy, it is also true. Brandeis students are absurdly friendly and kind, always willing to hold the door open for someone who is much too far away. They are incredibly passionate about making the world a better place, whether on a global scale or on an individual level by being welcoming to the new kid. I will miss being over-committed to awesome clubs, and learning from fascinating courses, but above all, I will miss the ridiculous and amazing people at this school, who helped me grow and change in a million ways for the better.

Valerie Janovic ’19 is a Music and sychology double major.

Ravi Simon ’19

The specter of graduation has haunted my senior year. It has induced a perpetual anxiety about the future, a commentator inside my head who never stops reminding me that I don’t have a job yet. All the while, seniority pushed me into leadership positions in clubs, higher level courses, and more difficult competition on the debate team. I felt as if my workload was an iron curtain, precluding me from peering beyond the demands of each week. In spite of all this, I enjoyed my last year at Brandeis greatly. I owe this to my roomates from freshman year, my friends from the orientation leader program, and the wonderful community on the debate team. The curtain is about to be drawn back and I while am anxious, I am also excited to see what life holds for me.

Ravi Simon ‘19 is the president of Brandeis Academic Debate and Speech Society and a staff writer for the Justice.

Naketia Henry ’19

My time at Brandeis has been highlighted by community. I was lucky and found a solid community during orientation and they have stayed with me throughout these four years which has been truly wonderful. I also gained a community through Brandeis women's ultimate and Habitat for Humanity. This April, I went on my fourth and final alternative spring break trip with Habitat. We drove down to the coast of Virginia; spent the week building houses, exploring the area, and getting to know the locals; then we rushed back on Friday night so that those of us on the ultimate team could make it to our regional tournament in western Mass by 8 a.m. on Saturday. The women's ultimate team made it to the game to go to Nationals, only losing 9-8 to one of the top teams in the country. It was a wild conclusion to a truly unforgettable and special week. Moments like these were only made better by the people surrounding me and it's the people that — more than anything — I will sorely miss.

Naketia Henry is a Creative Writing and Psychology double major with minors in Education Studies and Social Justice and Social Policy.