Many students who move to Binghamton consider it a rural place with not much to do, but to me, it was a small city with lots of promise.

I grew up in a small town in the middle of Pennsylvania — basically the middle of nowhere. To me, that was as rural as it could get. When I graduated high school just over 10 years ago, I was so excited to move away and see what opportunities existed outside the rolling farmlands.

Although only 40 minutes away from where I grew up, spending my undergraduate years at Susquehanna University became the first stepping stone toward my future and a home away from home. I was a first-generation college student, so I really had to forge my own path and lean on mentors to help guide me through, which they did. Now, it’s hard to believe how quickly those four years went by. I still look back fondly on that time.

I had my first glimpse at what life outside of academia could look like when I graduated and moved to Pittsburgh, the City of Bridges. Ironically enough, I’ve had a fear of bridges since I was little. But Pittsburgh became a new home for me, and I loved the freedom of not being attached to my backpack and all that came with it. Yet after two years there, I still yearned for more and decided to pursue a Ph.D.

Binghamton University became a beacon of hope for me. I remember the phone call like it was yesterday, when I was told I had been accepted into my doctoral program. Nearly five years later, it is challenging to put into words what has transpired. I earned my master’s degree, got engaged, experienced the plights of less-than-ideal living circumstances, presented my research at national conferences, won awards, pushed through countless long workdays, traveled to new places and somehow managed to plan a wedding amid it all. I unraveled my perfectionism, processed a lot of my past and have started to find myself again after years of overexertion.

There are still days when it is hard for me to fathom how I made it to this point — near the finish line of a competitive and prestigious academic journey. To have made it this far as a first-generation college student is an indescribable feeling.

But as much as I am proud of myself for making it here, I couldn’t have done it without the people who supported me along the way.

To the news team: thank you for teaching me all of the slang and lingo of today’s generation. I say that half in jest, but you genuinely always made me feel included. Ella and Joseph, you were such great leaders and so kind to me as I learned the ropes during production times, and you granted me flexibility more times than I can count, given the demands of graduate school. Nuala, Vera, Ashley, Sam and Rachel — what a rockstar team we have been! It was so much fun to work alongside you all and I will always cherish my time at Pipe Dream!

To my lab: thank you for being an intellectual home for me! It has been so fun being able to nerd out over relationship research with others who are just as passionate about this field of work. Rich, thank you for taking a chance on me and taking me on as your graduate student — I am so grateful for your unconditional support. Matt, thank you for being vocal about some of the most consequential issues in our country and for always being interested in my success as a scholar. Mike, thank you for showing me that I am not alone and for reminding me to take care of myself above all else at the end of the day. Quinn, thank you for being my cheerleader and for being one of my first friends here. Alana and Adriana, thank you for bringing joy back into my life after it felt like I had become a shell of a person.

To the other friends I made along the way: Liz and Katherine, thank you for being such a fun cohort full of whimsy — I am so proud of us for making it this far together! Diego and Charlie, you have both offered an endless well of support since I first met you. Thank you both for reminding me not to take things too seriously. Brady, you were such a wonderful dance partner — thank you for making me feel truly seen and appreciated! Adam, thank you for the ways in which you inspired me as we walked parallel journeys and for always creating space for me to be my authentic self. Alex, thank you for challenging me to grow in so many unexpected ways and for encouraging me to relax when I have needed it most.

My Matt: Thank you for being so patient with me over the course of my entire graduate journey — you have been with me since the start and have shown me what it means to truly love somebody. I never could have imagined being so lucky in this lifetime to marry someone I consider the love of my life. I am so excited for our future together — here’s to being your forever partner in co-op games, to traveling the world together and to finding the sunshine in all the unpredictable storms we will weather together in this lifetime.

All of this to say, I am no longer as afraid of transitions as I once was. I thought I would feel sad leaving Binghamton, but in truth, I am feeling ready to cross the bridge that will bring me into the next phase of my life. Although Binghamton is not home for me, I built a community that made me feel supported. With residency just around the corner, I am looking forward to slowing down and getting to know myself again — but this time, beyond the ivory tower.

Alyssa Miville, a fifth-year clinical psychology Ph.D. student, is a Pipe Dream news intern.