2021-2022 Year in Review

The prompt: In what way(s) did you personally grow this year? How did you demonstrate or rebuild the resilience needed to move forward? How will you utilize resources and your support network to hold yourself accountable in continuing this growth?

 

Above is a little recap of my year, per my Instagram. This year, I not only got to program and solve mathematical equations, but I got to channel my creative side as well, serving as Marketing Chair for ACM-W, Social Media Intern for Society of Women in Engineering, and T-Shirt Chair for Kappa Alpha Theta! These are all positions that I never expected to hold, because of the fact that I truly didn’t know what was out there! I grew so much this year by just putting myself in uncomfortable situations and running for positions that I knew nothing about. When I was running for Marketing Chair for ACM-W, I hadn’t been to a single meeting! I received an email encouraging me to run, so I did! I’ve eaten meals alone, studied alone, and been more independent than I ever had been before. That’s the funny thing about college, you can be as independent or dependent as you want. It can be easy to fall into comfortable routines, but I really worked this year to combat that. I had to retake a class second semester, which was really upsetting for me. I’m not a perfectionist by any means, but I had never encountered anything that I could not do. Instead of taking my loss, I retook the class spring semester and did much better than I ever thought I would! I demonstrated resilience. This newfound skill brought me confidence. I rushed a sorority, something that I never would have done in the past due to my introverted nature, and have made so many new, diverse friends! I also now hold a position as an Ambassador for CEAS, something else that I never would have done in the past. This year has presented so many opportunities to me that have allowed me to grow and morph into a new, better version of my previous self. There are so many resources here at UC that I have utilized and honestly should use more! My meetings with my academic advisor are some of the best hours of my week sometimes, due to the fact that they put me at ease when speaking about my future. In my weekly meetings for the board of the Engineering Living Learning Community, I get to speak with and connect with other first-year engineers and talk about how we can make this experience better! Just another resource for me as this has connected me with a few CEAS faculty members, who have been my rock throughout this year. The first year of college may seem daunting, but if you take advantage of your resources and opportunities, it can be one of the most beneficial years of your life.