When I look back at my five years at UCLA, I can’t help but smile and feel flooded with so many positive emotions: happiness, contentment, love, trust, support, fulfillment and an overall feeling of pure gratitude.

The “From the Sidelines” series aims to give student-athletes a chance to share their stories in their own words. The first testimony comes from UCLA indoor and beach volleyball senior Savvy Simo, who has recently announced she will take a fifth year in response to the cancellation of what would have been her eighth campaign as a Bruin.