After emerging from my penultimate thesis committee meeting, I experienced a range of bittersweet emotions underscored by a profound sense of nostalgia. Although I am thrilled about finishing my PhD and moving on to a postdoc at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, I will be sad to leave New York and Rockefeller University.

What I will miss most is what makes any institution special — the people. From the security guards to the full professors, there have been many who have nurtured me through graduate school. My lab mates at the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center and my adviser, Mark Muesing, have been like a surrogate family to me. Our relationship has been based on mutual exchange. Mark taught me the nuances of HIV biology, I taught him the finer points of rap music and hip-hop culture.

So as I wrap things up, I'll remember everyone who made my graduate experience so unforgettable. I'll take all of the knowledge and encouragement with me into my future professional experiences, and I aspire to attain a level of scientific achievement that will make them proud. In the meantime, I want them all to know that if they should crave some fine French cuisine or just some friendly conversation, I'm only a phone call or trans-Atlantic flight away.