Student Spotlight Tori Zukowski
Degree: Elementary Education, BA
Class:
2025
Hometown:
Carlisle, Pa.
Letter To Younger Self: Tori Zukowski
As part of West Virginia University’s May 2025 Commencement celebration, Tori Zukowski, an elementary education student from the College of Applied Human Sciences, shares a personal letter to her high school self—reflecting on the growth, challenges, and moments that shaped her WVU experience. This letter provides reflections from students as they approach graduation and begin their professional careers.
Dear High School Tori,
You are going to start off college with one plan in mind: graduate so you can become a teacher! You are going to stick to this plan (the plan you have had since first grade), but you’ll realize in college that you’ll have to make many more choices you didn’t see coming.
While in college, you will choose to work towards a perfect 4.0 GPA, something you couldn't do in high school. I will warn you that this choice will come with a lot of anxiety, tears, doubt, a couple of hard “no’s” to invitations, and you will need a lot of perseverance. Thankfully, you have so much support and motivation that you can pull this off. I cannot wait for you to get to the point when you learn that you actually have a lot of extra time to do plenty of “typical” college things and can truthfully balance both social and academic goals.
Also, you will choose to start branching out in an attempt to make those movie “lifelong” friends. It doesn’t happen right away, so be patient, but you will find those lifelong friends. These friends accept you, help you, cheer you on during your lows, and generally just make college more enjoyable. I advise you to cherish those moments because, before you know it, they won't be living down the road from you anymore.
You are going to stay focused on all the choices you made to your original (graduate college) plan. I want to tell you to breathe and stay present. College is going to go by faster than you expect it. I do not want you to miss anything because you are caught up in postgraduate life.
As you are contemplating your upcoming four years, I have some advice for you:
1) Do not compare your college journey to others.
2) Stay present within all moments.
3) Breathe. You are right where you are supposed to be.
4) You can trust yourself.
You will make it out in one piece. You’ll make choices you’ll thank college for — like pursuing upper elementary education, choosing to stay stateside, applying to grad school, being more independent (though you do always love a call/visit from mom and dad).
I share that to help ease your mind. I want you to have fun in college. Remember to be open-minded, take every opportunity, let yourself become who you are meant to be, enjoy every moment, and be present! I love you, now go have some fun!
Tori