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@daliaabenninghoff

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Tampa | @ufalumni

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free as we’ll ever be

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slight change in hours of operation

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the great outdoors (& friends)

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Tatiana’s world and we’re just living in it 💫

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a big celebration for our little girl🤎

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the world keeps spinning & so will i 🌞

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@connor_gench is still playing around with his camera exposure but don’t worry I fixed it in the last slide

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Summerrrrrrr😩

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north thailand dump

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“There ain’t no easy way out.”

If you are (or were) a student at the University of Florida, you know that lyric by heart. It is sung countless times at tailgates, bars, game days, and all throughout Gainesville. As I was leaving the O’Connell Center after graduation, my mom pointed out how that one lyric perfectly captures what it means to be a Florida Gator.

College isn’t easy. Whether it’s classes, friendships, or involvements, being a student at UF initially felt harder than the process of getting in. Yet somehow, probably during a walk home from Midtown, the hardest part became saying goodbye.

I’m endlessly grateful for the friendships, memories, and people who made Gainesville feel like home. I’m also grateful I always had home with me, my older sister for my first two years, and my younger brother for the last.

During my junior year, when my mom got diagnosed with ovarian cancer, I remember my dad promising me that by graduation her hair would be grown back and that she would be in the stands watching me walk the stage. So last week, when I looked up and saw all five of my immediate family members (with full heads of hair) cheering me on from the stands, that was probably the moment I felt most grateful.

To anyone still in college, whether at UF or elsewhere, cherish every second of it. I hope that by the time you leave, saying goodbye feels like the hardest part too.

As always, Go Gators 🐊

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That was fun! So much fun I’m doing it again next year! 🐊

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thank you touchtunes photobooth for all the mems <3

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