‘This place became home’: Outstanding Senior Student reflects on USCA journey

Ainhoa Colino, USCA’s Outstanding Senior Student addressed family, friends and fellow Pacers during the annual Academic Honors ceremony on May 5 in the Etherredge Center and during commencement rehearsal on May 6 in the Convocation Center.

The international student from Spain, graduated May 6 with a 4.0 GPA. Carmen Williams, director of alumni relations, presented Colino the Outstanding Senior Student award during USCA’s spring commencement ceremony.

Below are Colino’s remarks, and the video of her presentation is above.

Thank you, to the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, Mr. Ahmed Samaha, and thank you to the committee for selecting me for this award.  

It is an honor to be recognized as the 2026 Outstanding Senior Student.

I transferred to USC Aiken as a junior, and from the moment I arrived, I was determined to make the most out of my time here.

Over these past two years, I’ve had the opportunity to work on multiple research projects and present at conferences across the country, while also balancing my role as a cross-country athlete and serving in leadership positions as a resident mentor, Global Ambassador, athletics department assistant, and cardiac rehabilitation assistant.

For those who don’t know me, I’m an international student from Spain.  

Four years ago, I boarded a plane to South Carolina by myself, with just two suitcases and a head full of questions. At the time, four years felt like a lifetime, but standing here today, it’s hard to believe how quickly it all passed. And I know many of you feel the same way.  

My journey wasn’t really a straight path. I spent my first two years at a school in Columbia, South Carolina, before transferring to USC Aiken. That transition meant starting over; making new friendships, connecting with new professors, and finding my place all over again.  

There were moments of doubt, and yes, a lot of tears at the beginning. My parents and close friends are witnesses to that. But, somewhere along the way, this place became home.  

USC Aiken has given me friendships and memories I will carry with me forever, and I will never be grateful enough for them. This university has seen me grow not only as a student, but as a person, and it is because of those experiences and opportunities that I am standing here today. 

I would like to say a special thank you to both my professors and mentors, 

Dr. [Adam] Pazda and Dr. [Brian] Parr, who have encouraged me to become the best version of myself and have made me realize that every opportunity is worth taking. Thank you as well to the exercise and sports science and psychology departments for pushing me beyond my comfort zone and opening doors I never imagined. And thank you to my research mentor, Dr. [Alexandra] Roach, for giving me my first opportunity in research and sparking my passion for the electrophysiology of pain.  

To my cross-country coach, Jim Sprecher, thank you for helping me rediscover my love for the sport and for always taking such great care of me and my teammates.  

To the faculty and students who make this campus feel like a second home for me, thank you.  

And to all the friends I have made along the way, this award is just as much yours as it is mine. You welcomed me as one of your own, supported and loved me unconditionally, and became my family away from home.  

I will be forever grateful.  

Now, I want to turn to the most important people in my life, my family, who flew 4,300 miles just to be here with me today.  

Aita y ama, quiero daros las gracias por haber estado siempre a mi lado y por creer en mí incluso cuando yo no lo hacía. Ha sido un camino de muchos altibajos, y muchas lágrimas, pero sé que todo ha merecido la pena. Me siento muy afortunada de teneros conmigo, sobre todo en un día tan importante como hoy. 

Thank you again to everyone who has shaped my college experience in any way. I would not be standing here without you. I will carry everything this place has given me into whatever comes next. 

Make the most of every moment in these final days; these are memories you will carry with you forever. While this chapter at USC Aiken might be coming to an end, it’s only the beginning of everything that comes next.

I wish you courage, success, and happiness wherever your path leads. 

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