Taylor Holmes | Hometown: Ashford, Conn. | Accounting, Big Data and Business Analytics

I have been thinking of ways to start this reflection and I have decided that the most important part of this reflection is to thank my parents. 

Letter to my Mom & Dad:

Mom: Thank you is not enough for all you have done for me, but thank you. Thank you for believing in me when no one else did. Thank you for giving me the strength and passion to turn this softball career of mine into something extraordinary. Thank you for coming to the field with dad and I and walking around the Ashford Middle School soccer field, while watching me pitch and always telling me “great pitch” even when the ball was 10 feet over dad’s head. Thank you for showing up to every single collegiate game I have had these past three years at Suffolk whether it was hailing, you were sick or you were supposed to be working. Thank you for crying when I cried, for stressing when I was stressed, and for ultimately providing me with this opportunity to play softball. You have done more for me than what most parents could say in their lifetime. So, thank you.

Dad: You were my very first catcher and will always be my favorite. You helped coach me when no one else was around. You pushed me to be uncomfortable and to be a better pitcher. You took balls off ankles, shins, and everywhere in between but shook it off and kept catching. My favorite memories of softball will always be on those fields at home, pitching with you. Even though we may have argued about some stuff along the way, you are the reason I am here playing a college sport. You helped me break down barriers and continuously believed in my ability. You also never sugar coated anything and would tell me I sucked, when I sucked. Without you, I wouldn’t have been half the pitcher I am today and more importantly half the person. I am disciplined, driven and most importantly know how to play for a team and not myself and that is all thanks to you. Thank you for helping me realize my worth on and off the field.

Letter to my Team:

Thank you to everyone that has been on this Suffolk University softball team throughout my past three years here, you have shaped me into a better player and teammate. It has been one hell of a ride, one that I will never forget. Remember to always play with everything you have, push yourself to be the best, and most of all play for your team. There will be a time when you have to hang up the cleats, so until then live in the present, cherish the moments you have on the field, and remember the girls that once wore your jersey.

Letter to my Seniors:

This class held a legacy, one that will be hard for any other class to live up to. Our seniors won, laughed, cried, and picked each other up. We lived through the good times and the bad together. We built a foundation for this softball program to grow on and I am blessed to have had the opportunity to play with these five other talented women. I will forever smile at all the memories we had together whether it was working BC Football games, team pasta dinners, spring training trips, or playing “What do you Meme.” We have sacrificed a lot in our lives for softball, but we gained each other.

Thank you to my family, my past teammates, my coaches throughout my entire softball career and to everyone that believed in me. It was never an easy road to get to this achievement in life. A lot of people doubted my ability and frowned up on my stature, but never once did I give up. Softball has given me a second family, taught me valuable life lessons, and pushed me outside of my comfort zone continuously. I will forever be grateful for this sport and the people it has brought into my life.