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Hope in the New Year: How York College students are finding the light in 2021

January 29, 2021
Hopes for 2021 York College of Pennsylvania

Some students are using the fresh start to learn from 2020 and focus on the positives ahead.

Turning the calendar from 2020 to 2021 came with its share of reflection and renewed sense of promise for the future. Several York College of Pennsylvania students share what they’re hopeful for in the coming year.

Brianna Simms ’23, Graphic Design 

Q: What are your hopes for 2021? 

This year, I’m hoping for less materialistic things and more idealistic accomplishments. I’d like to see personal growth in areas like confidence, dependability, selflessness, and how I interact with others. I’m hoping to continue doing well in school, getting back into sports, and focusing on preparing myself for the next steps in my life. 

Q: Why are those things important to you?

Improving my outlook on life is extremely important to me because it helps me to function healthily and allows me to be satisfied with my current state in life. I don’t want to worry about feeling like I’m falling behind others or not doing enough. Improving myself personally improves my relationships with others, my study habits, and my passion for my jobs. I believe seeking happiness through accomplishments, grades, or money only gets a person so far. As a competitive person, I know that achieving one thing after another doesn’t ultimately make me happy or deemed important in the long run. My mentality and finding peace in who I am and what I am doing day to day is what’s ultimately important to me!

Rolling into 2021 with that Baby Yoda energy.


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Garrett Hunt ’22, Intelligence Analysis

Q: What is a lesson you learned in 2020?

For me, this past year was a lesson of patience and perseverance. Although our way of life may have changed drastically, my goals remained the same, just with new obstacles in the way. I had to adapt to these changes, and like many, my progress was slow, but I persevered, and I was able to capitalize on a year that could have easily delayed or completely changed my original ambitions for the year.

Q: How do you think you’ll carry those lessons into 2021? 

Building off of the lessons learned in 2020, in the coming year I plan to use the adversity I am faced with to my advantage. It is easy to get discouraged in life, and as we have seen in 2020, there may be little that happens to lighten our spirits. However, it is important to acknowledge the fact that life will move on and you can either use the hardship you are faced with to improve yourself, or you can let it stop you from achieving your goals.

2021 mood.


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Jonathan Mack ’21, Criminal Justice

Q: What does “being hopeful” mean to you?

Being hopeful to me means that I am patient. Even if certain things may not happen in the immediate future, I will be optimistic and pray that it will happen eventually. 

Q: What is important to you this year?

Family has always been an important aspect in my life, and I enjoy being around all of them for dinners, birthday parties, and holidays. Since the pandemic started, I have not been able to see a lot of them because of the global health concerns, and being able to continue that again would bring all of us a great deal of comfort and excitement.

Welcome to Spring 2021, Spartans!

Whatever your goals are, let's work on achieving them in this new year. Together. 


via GIPHY