Releasing the Old, Rooting Into What’s Next As we arrive at the end of 2025, many of us are taking a collective exhale. If you’re anything like me—and like so many students I’ve connected with this year—it’s been intense. For some, it’s felt clarifying. For others, exhausting. For many, both at once. If you’re feeling a mix of relief, tenderness, grief, and quiet hope as the year closes, please know this: you’re not alone. The Winter Solstice , the longest night of the year,