Grat-i-tude (noun): a feeling of thankfulness or appreciation.
At this special time of year, many find themselves counting their blessings and realizing all of the good they have in their lives. A blessing many are thankful for is education and the privilege it is to experience all BYU has to offer.
Abby Lazarev, a senior studying art history, has a few reasons why she is grateful for BYU.
“I’m grateful for BYU and the experience because I love our campus and the people that attend our school,” Lazarev said.
Lazarev mentioned how grateful she is that BYU has a diverse student body, since she met her husband while they both attended school here.
“I like that there are students from all over. I wouldn’t have met my husband if it wasn’t for BYU because he is from Washington, D.C. I even met him at ward prayer, which is so BYU-ish,” Lazarev mentioned.
Bailey Schmutz, a junior studying civil engineering, is grateful that he too met his future eternal companion at BYU.
“I recently met my eternal companion here,” Schmutz said. “We both attended here, and I had to sell a textbook to her little sister; she enacted the transaction, and we started dating shortly after. You could say I am grateful for the BYU book exchange program.”
Schmutz also expressed his gratitude for his education and his program.
“BYU is one of the top schools in the nation for civil engineering. Because of that I was able to network with several companies a few weeks ago, and several have offered internships for this next summer. I feel lucky to have a good beginning on my career,” Schmutz added.
Lazarev has a deep love for travel and recalled her experiences studying abroad through BYU.
“I got to go on a study abroad to Siena, Italy, and it really did change my life,” Lazarev said.
Katie Seastrand, a sophomore studying art history, looked around at a few different schools before deciding to come to BYU.
“I really love the atmosphere here. I feel like here people are more happy, more welcoming, and there is a feeling of togetherness,” Seastrand said.
“It’s nice to walk on campus and have people smile at you,” Seastrand mentioned.
Schmutz laughed as he added another reason he is grateful to attend here.
“I’m grateful for the intramural program and to be able to participate in that; I have a lot of fun there,” Schmutz said.
Whether it be atmosphere, academics or opportunities BYU provides, we can all agree this school is a wonderful place to be.
