(Framed on the wall, in the year 2073)

Dear Student,

                  Welcome to Brooklyn College, and thank you for being here. Just know that you have made the right choice, simply because you chose the pursuit of a higher education. You are a rarity, and the cascade which led to your presence is nothing but a smooth projection– one that is truly paramount. Beyond the threshold is the essence of a different world. This is where dreams are forged. Within these walls, you have the potential to become the best of who you’re meant to be. But, that discovery can only manifest if you remain firm upon the exploration of who you are. If you wish to move forward, you must learn to leave all the burdens of the past where they belong. Know, that things are always scary just before you start, but once you do, it only gets easier. Here, there is no room for dogma, because the sacredness of this space is reserved exclusively for the minds of critical and creative thinkers. To survive, you need to maneuver through the graceful act of reading and writing a lot. You are encouraged to thrive by transforming the novelty of your world into a life of poetics. No matter what field you intend to graze upon, invest and cultivate yourself with ‘Bird by Bird,’ which is the book of Anne Lamott. That way, you will always finish what you start, and you will also come to know that anything worth doing is worth doing well. Empathy through diversity has proven to be the key which opens the way for a prosperous community. And, in this place is where strangers become friends. In this place engagements are solidified. In this place talent is detected and refined. These halls have unequivocally experienced the possibilities of a great many, which include Serena Burdick, Robert Jones Jr., and Ocean Vuong. This place will also remember the brilliance of your every step, as it did with us before you. Trust me, I know how you feel, because at this very moment, while writing this, I am you. I know that, one day, my time will inevitably fade, then it’ll be your turn to hand the baton to someone else. To do for them what we have done for you. Our voices have echoed as interns, moved by the light of Roni Natov, with the hopes of reaching you, who is now a leader of tomorrow. At this moment, no one knows it, but there are beautiful names that have shown immense promise: Khloe, Dean, Faith, Annalene, and Grayson … Jasmine, Adelisa, Kinza, and Angel. They have participated, told their stories, and became infinite, in their own special way. They are legends, and I am a fortunate witness, attesting with awe, as they simply write and share with one another in what is now the golden memory of 3416. 

Never forget that ‘we do not remember days, we remember moments.’

And, everything has been written and dried.

This is to say that we were here, and now so are you. 

In this place, just know that you are within full right to pursue your happiness.

Bloom and allow the scent of your unique fragrance to emanate into the world.

Keep going.

And remember, that through the storm will always be the celebration of a brighter day.

From a student just like you,

    Abdoulaye Diallo

2022