Jamie Taris

It feels like yesterday that I was in tears at the entrance of Miller Hall, freshly moved in with my parents ready to leave me to kick off my Suffolk experience in the fall of 2020. As a new freshman with my world turned upside down, I had no idea what was to come.

I attended the Involvement Fair and joined The Suffolk Journal just a few weeks into my first semester. At first, I was only joining to put something on my resume and build a portfolio as a journalism student, but the simple decision to get involved proved to be the greatest decision I made in my time here. 

My involvement defined my Suffolk journey.

Getting involved on campus early on was so important, especially as a freshman. While it’s something none of us want to remember, it’s impossible to forget that the coronavirus pandemic was in full swing when the current senior class began their college journey. While the single rooms for all freshmen on campus were nice, it was easy to feel lonely due to the remote classes and spaced seating on campus. 

In isolating times, The Journal became my social outlet; Tuesday nights were the highlight of my week. No matter what was going on in the world, no matter what restrictions were in place, I knew I could count on seeing the same group of faces on my computer screen every Tuesday. And once students fully returned to campus in the fall 2021 semester, all those virtual friends became meaningful, in-person relationships.

The Journal gave me a chance to explore my passions. I was able to get a peek into sports journalism through reporting on professional sports. I fell in love with this side of journalism and was grateful I had the opportunity to write about the things I loved. 

Once Suffolk sports teams made a comeback in spring 2021, I got my first chance to report in person on local news at a women’s hockey game. I can still remember how excited I was at the opportunity, no matter how nervous I was to conduct interviews with the athletes. The experience not only made me a better journalist, but a more outgoing person. 

As I moved from a Journal writer to a Web Editor, Sports Editor and Managing Editor, I was proud of the progress I made thanks to the experiences my involvement gave me.

The most valuable thing I gained from The Journal wasn’t the journalistic practice, but the doors and opportunities it opened for me. The relationships I formed in this club allowed me to become an orientation leader in the summer of 2022. It was an experience that I credit to being the most transformative in my years at Suffolk.

Through being a Suffolk Orientation Leader and a RAM Supporter, I learned to be my best version of a leader and how to best support people in their own lives, all while working on my own goals.

My involvement in Orientation gave me the chance to take an Alternative Spring Break trip to Prince William Forest Park, I was named SGA’s Outstanding Junior of the Year in the Spring of 2023 and I gained the confidence to spread my wings further than Boston to study abroad.

As I get ready to enter the workforce, I can confidently say that I am ready because of the skills and relationships I gained here at Suffolk. The relationships I formed are ones I hope to take with me forever.

On May 19, I will walk across the stage of Leader Bank Pavilion and become a Suffolk graduate. While I’ll be leaving student life behind, I’ll be taking countless positive memories, lessons and relationships with me. The most meaningful of which came through the extracurriculars I chose to take part in.

Thank you to all of the Suffolk students, staff and faculty for making the past four years some of the best of my life. I have always been and always will be proud to call myself a Suffolk Ram. 

To the students who will be here next year, and all the years to come, make the most of every opportunity that comes your way. Your graduation will be here before you know it, and the most meaningful memories and relationships you take from Suffolk won’t necessarily be those forged in the classroom, but those you forge yourself by getting involved.