Writing on a Mirror Changed My Entire Outlook on College

In the summer of 2016, I decided to stick around campus and take classes while working toward my degree. By then, I was already halfway through college. A few of my fraternity brothers had made the same choice, and some of them ended up living at an apartment complex called Capri, just off Alder Street.

Most evenings, I’d take walks around campus to clear my head. Every now and then, I’d swing by their place unannounced. They never seemed to mind—it was always nice to see a familiar face, and the feeling was mutual. Jonny and I would usually throw on an episode of South Park and laugh our way through it. It was our go-to stress relief during an otherwise slow, uneventful summer.

One afternoon, on a whim, I decided to stop by. The door was open, as usual, so I let myself in. Jonny had just woken up from a nap, and I sat next to his bed while he got up and started getting ready for work. He mentioned he had a shift at Target later that evening. I could relate—I’d spent the previous summer working at Walmart.

As he was putting on his uniform, I noticed something written on his closet mirror that I hadn’t seen before. It was a list of names under the heading “My Whys.” I asked him what it meant, and his answer was something I’ve never forgotten.

In that moment, everything shifted. I realized how wrapped up I’d been in my own world, how easily I’d overlooked the sacrifices my parents made so I could even be here. College wasn’t just a personal journey—it was a gift. One they worked hard to give me because they believed in the power of education and the stability it could offer.

That simple list on Jonny’s mirror was the reminder I didn’t know I needed. I knew then what I had to do: finish my degree—if not for me, then for them. It’s the least I can do.

I’ll never forget that moment, or the words he said. It came at just the right time.