Today would have been my niece’s 18th birthday and even though she isn’t here to celebrate it, I feel it is an important day to get her message out.

Jill was an active high school student participating in the sport of the season, always on the honor roll and always hanging out with her friends.

One day she collapsed during a basketball drill, and it was discovered she had an inoperable brain-stem tumor. The day before she had her biopsy, all she wanted was to be around her friends and family, mostly just her friends.

I remember discussing with her what she wanted to do when she entered the “real world.” Her answer was she just wanted to do something that would help people. So, even when she knew something had to be really wrong with her, all she could think about was helping others.

This is how Jill lived her life — she was always, according to her friends, trying to make everyone happy with her goofy ways. I think she would want you to hear her wishes for her friends and family given at the celebration of her life.

Jill wanted us all to stop complaining. She thought that if she could go through face-deforming steroid treatments, days when she couldn’t swallow, the loss of her ability to walk and fight the cancer through radiation treatments, then until we have something that severe to deal with in our lives, we have no reason whatsoever to complain.

We all do our fair share of complaining. Even when we are out enjoying ourselves we all can have a tendency to complain — I guess we think it makes interesting conversation when in reality it just brings everyone’s mood down.

I’ve tried to take this advice and, let me tell you, it might be the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I find myself slipping back to my old ways all the time, but when I’m not complaining I seem to be happier. So try it sometime for a day or a week and see if doesn’t improve your world.

Another thing Jill wanted us to do is be good to ourselves. Jill never drank, smoked or did drugs. Her message was that we all should give up drinking and drugs, but I feel a good tribute to her message would be to just be good to your body and your mind.

Another thing I have taken from Jill is the desire to find myself in the world. She knew she wanted to help others.

Some of us are never fortunate enough to discover our true calling, but I think we all should try. Trust me, I know it’s hard. This is my second go-around through college, so I know it isn’t easy finding your true spot in this world. But as job searching at colleges reaches full swing over the next few months, or as you sit in that boring class required for your major, ask yourself if you will truly be happy with the job you’re applying for or if your major is right for you. I think you will be happy you did, no matter the answer. So go out, have fun, be good to yourself, have faith in your abilities and find your true calling. Live each day to its fullest, because you never know what tomorrow will bring.

Derek Fiscus

Senior

Computer Science