By Gabby Wellman (Wheelock ’24)

As we finished our senior year of high school, the class of 2024 hit all of the typical “college milestones.” We took the ACT and SAT, wrote about 100 essays, we sent in all of our applications, received our acceptance letters, committed and sent in our enrollment deposits, and, of course, posted a precious picture in our bright red BU hoodies (because if you didn’t post it, it didn’t happen, right?).

We attended orientation and watched the BU band’s virtual performance, registered for our fall classes, spent hours online finding decorations for our dorm rooms. We packed our bags, booked hotels, and got ready to hop onto the plane, the train, the bus, or the car that would bring us straight to Boston. And by the time our feet hit Comm Ave, we had been through the full pre-college experience that every sophomore, junior, senior, and alumni had endured, but with a slight variation: COVID-19.

In the spirit of full transparency, I was terrified to start my college experience in a global pandemic, but I quickly realized that I had nothing to worry about because I was a part of BU Wheelock. Before we could even get settled, BU Wheelock had reached out about a million different hands to help us through our first semester here. We had transitional mentors reaching out every couple of weeks to check in with us, we got BU Wheelock mugs and hot chocolate from (the one and only) Liz Vassalo, and we were given ample opportunities to get to know other Wheelock students. Even in the face of social distancing guidelines and LfA, there has been no shortage of community-wide events at BU Wheelock. From Tik Tok competitions to reverse tie-dye events to ZOOMba– you name it, BU Wheelock had it!

On top of these creative events, through FY101, a one-credit course that introduces Wheelock freshmen to life at BU and in Boston, we got to meet and connect with each other, regardless of whether we were on campus or at home. I am sure that most of my friends in FY101 could agree that this course has taught us much more than just the must-knows of being a BU student, it has also given us a glimpse to the fun and diverse personalities the BU Wheelock Class of 2024 is made up of. FY101 has given us the opportunity to laugh together, to learn about each other, and to understand that we are all going through similar challenges and are willing to help each other through them. At the end of the day, there’s something that the BU website and pamphlets can’t tell you: when you come to BU Wheelock you get more than just a great education, you get a family.

At BU Wheelock, you will find something that you can’t find elsewhere, something that has become ever so clear as we enter the ninth month of life during the coronavirus–you’ll find a community that is unfazed by any challenge. Even now, when most people would assume that a sense of unity and community is hard to find, BU Wheelock has proven, time and time again, how interconnected and far-reaching the Wheelock community really is.

For the past 8 months, we have been quick to blame COVID-19 for all the hardships we’ve endured, but after experiencing my first three months here, I think it’s time to turn things around and thank COVID-19. Now, I know what you are thinking but bear with me. Despite everything this pandemic has taken from me and everyone else, it has shown me one thing: the incredible experience that you get when you come to BU Wheelock. So, yes, I say thank you to COVID-19 because it opened my eyes to the loving, welcoming, and open-hearted community that is BU Wheelock.