YEar in Review.
SO WHAT: The two events that changed my life this past year are going to college, and the day I actually showed up for college. The decision to come to University of Cincinnati was not an easy one for me, in all honesty, no part of me wanted to attend the college only 25 minutes from my house. I was also commuting, which kind of crushed the image I had whipped up when I pictured college life. While I love my dysfunctional family as much as the next person, I craved adventure and exploring new places and did not think I would find it at University of Cincinnati. Showing up at Bearcat Bound Orientation, I simply went through the motions, accepting my Bearcat ID and confusing schedule with a begrudging, forced smile. While the Student Orientation Leaders I was surrounded by seemed to love UC, I did not. I felt lost. I did not know what building was what, what I wanted to do with my life, who I wanted to do it with or what I would be having for lunch that day. While high school might’ve been a mastered maze, college was a brand new obstacle and I had no idea how to tackle it. I enjoyed welcome weekend, and slowly started to believe that I was at a decent school through the events I attended, and the clubs I tried to join, I still was not experiencing college like I had hoped I would. I was forgetting the advice that I had been told by several wonderful people, including my Honors 101 professor. They told me that half of life is simply showing up. Somewhere between when the leaves changed color and frost bit the ground this advice started to resonate with me. Even though I did not live on campus, I would do everything I could to grow and learn each day. In and outside of the classroom I “faked it till I made it” by simply showing up and engaging myself. I introduced myself to my professors, went to club open houses, stayed on campus simply to watch the sun go down, and asked upperclassmen for advice over coffee. Once I stopped pitying myself for my circumstances, I made much better circumstances for myself. In my involvement with the University Honors Program I made very close friends in a program called LeaderShape in which I envisioned my ideal world. This week long program was a huge turning point in my time at University. I recognized my idealist way of thinking and my sincere desire to somehow make the world a better place. The friends I made there made my experience at UC much richer and more fun. I gained confidence in my leadership role on Student Activities Board and obtained an executive position on the board.
NOW WHAT: When I channeled my energy into one thing I knew I could change rather than anything that caught my eye, I felt unstoppable. I pursued more involvement with UC’s Sustainability office and internship opportunities at non-profit organizations around Cincinnati. Pretty soon I realized that when I accepted my mistakes and moved forward, I had the opportunity to do almost anything I wanted right here in Cincinnati. Before I knew it I was applying for and accepting a position as one of the Student Orientation Leaders whose enthusiasm I had once gawked at, but now possess. It was the best decision I ever made and I am so grateful to be here at UC.