During graduation weekend 2023, the “Senior So Dear” event was almost rained out and had to pivot from an outdoor event to an indoor event in ZSR. That indoor event was so successful that John Champlin approached the Library this Spring (2025) in hopes that ZSR could once again provide an indoor venue for this event, only this time there was time to plan, and it became an epic event! Just check out these pics from the ZSR Library’s Flickr! Below are reflections from three folks from ZSR who volunteered to work this event, attended by over 800 graduating seniors and their families!

Emma

Helping out with the Senior So Dear Celebration this past Saturday was a wonderful experience! The event was a combination of all the things that make ZSR and Wake Forest special — the passion of the people who work here, the curious minds of the students, and all the people in their lives who are there to support their loved ones, and the library that got them through everything.

It was also a unique opportunity for students to reflect on how ZSR contributed to their college experience. There were whiteboards with prompts for attendees to respond to, and different nooks in ZSR featured as favorite study spaces. For some of the families, this was also their first impression of ZSR. I hope that this becomes a tradition and that ZSR continues to have more opportunities to highlight how dynamic our space is to new visitors!

Laura

While “Senior So Dear,” an aptly named event, was enjoyed by all throughout the whole building, the public service desk was also a great spot for Emma, Hu, and me to receive the warm ‘thank you’s’ from many of the guests and seniors. It was quite apparent, from the frequent stops at the desk, that folks genuinely appreciated ZSR for what the staff and faculty provide students. We not only received thanks for the resources and the space, but many were grateful for the care that had been given to students over the years by faculty and staff.

From our view at the desk, we also had the opportunity to watch students and families engaging with the fun questions on the whiteboards stationed across from the desk. There were many heartfelt conversations about favorite professors, campus memories, and favorite spots on campus, not only from current graduating students, but from many of the parents as well, and even some grandparents!

Hu

Here are my three observations from the event! First, Laura and Emma were amazing! Having three of us from ZSR meant we could take turns on the desk, answer questions, and even mingle a bit! Second, it was such an honor to have an opportunity to meet so many families of students from classes I’ve taught over the last four years, and third, this event reminded me how hard everyone across campus works to make graduation a fantastic experience for the seniors and their families! The teams from Alumni Engagement and Student Engagement put forth a herculean effort to make this event and the entire graduation weekend a success!