Our Graduates: Hayden Sims

If we lived in an '80s teen movie, Hayden would be the one listed as in the credits as "The Perfessor". He would be the one whose extensive knowledge of Mayan history enabled him to guess the password that got the kids into the thing so they could save the day. Or the guy who's too smart for his own good and never has a date, until the supermodel in glasses shows up at the end of the film. He, well, we're going to run out of space, so I'll let him tell his story:

"I thought I had my whole life planned out in high school. I was going to go to my dream college, be a millionaire by thirty, and be the youngest ever President of the United States at the age of thirty-five (the youngest age one can be president according to the United States Constitution, Article II, Section 1). Then my dream school rejected me and my second-choice school rejected me and my third-choice school rejected me. That left IU, a school I never thought I would actually be going to and a school that I therefore initially resented. I gave up on the millionaire dream and realized I might have to suspend my campaign for a year/decade or two. Now, four years later, I am PROUD to call myself a Hoosier and to be earning an IU degree. I cannot even begin to fully describe how grateful I am for my time here and for everyone I have met and everything I have learned.

The highlight of my time here has undoubtedly been my time working in BSIC. I got hired my second or third day in Bloomington freshman year by Teri and Jeri at the jobs fair and I say a thank you every day for that. As many of you may know, I have a very strict and very complex friendship policy and system in which it takes no fewer than ten years to move from the lowest level (Acquaintance-Level One) to the highest level (BFF). However, my time at IU, specifically my time here at BSIC, has forced me to make several exceptions and promote many of you to “BFF” (except Noah who’s still at “Workplace Associate-Level 2).

I will take the combined weight and influence of my experience here with me to Memphis, TN where I will be teaching Algebra with Teach for America. And who knows, I just may find my way back to Bloomington for law/education/public affairs school in two years.

Okay, I’ve droned on long enough and I know that after four years, several of you (especially Matthew Thomas McGee) are sick and tired of it. However, I want to leave you all with some unsolicited advice because I love listening to myself talk:

·         Don’t be afraid to change your major. And don’t major in something that doesn’t excite you purely for a paycheck. Do what you love and everything else will work itself out.

·         College is about finding yourself. The wise Cole Heller once said, “In college, you get the opportunity to create a life for yourself. You learn about who you are, what you like, and what people you are going to be around the rest of your life.” I would add to this, though, that if you leave college and you still don’t feel that you’ve fully found yourself, that’s okay! Life is an experience, not a blueprint. You’ll continuing to discover and learn new things about yourself after college.

·         If you have the opportunity to study abroad, DO IT! Even if only for a week. You will not regret it. And there’s more money/scholarships out there for it than you think.

·       I wish I could go back in time and tell eighteen-year-old Hayden that it gets better. I wish I could go back and tell him that despite his trepidations, despite his pessimism, he would come to love IU, all of the opportunities it afforded him, and all of the bonds and relationships he would forge along the way. College is hard. Between homesickness and numerous existential crises, I came really close to transferring my freshman year. But it gets better. I promise you it does."

It absolutely does. Hayden used to be one of the shyest members of the staff and now look at him. He is also the only one who gets my jokes. It won't be the same without you, Hayden. Your humor, your love of The Golden Girls, and your knowledge of all things obscure will be very much missed.