Year 1 Review

               To say that this year was out of the ordinary is about the biggest understatement you could make. My senior year of high school was cut short by a global pandemic, leaving me without a graduation ceremony or a chance to say goodbye to the people who supported me over the last 13 years or the place I spent more time at than anywhere else. Then, I came to college this past August knowing only a handful of people and being two hours away from my family. To make matters worse, most activities on campus and classes were entirely virtual, meaning adapting to a new learning style and being isolated from people. I had a big challenge ahead of me, but I was determined to face it head-on.

               My growth over the past year has been tremendous in a lot of ways, both in my academic and my personal life. Time management was always something I felt I had down, since I had juggled many AP classes, two sports, band, church, and various other activities in high school. However, college is a whole new ball game. I was stressed out for most of first semester, trying to figure out how to cram so much studying into what felt like too little time. I got organized, utilizing a planner and a calendar, as well as creating a sticky note system to keep on top of work for school and clubs. I learned to how to prioritize and get things done while still enjoying time with friends and setting time aside to relax.

               I also fell in love with coding. Coming into college, I knew majoring in engineering meant that learning to code was inevitable, but I was nervous about it since I had no prior exposure to coding. However, during my ENED 1100 course first semester, I found out that coding was fun! Ever since I was a kid, I have loved doing all sorts of logic puzzles, and coding is nothing more than a digitalized logic puzzle. I decided to start a computer science minor and am excited to see where it takes me and how I can integrate it in with biomedical engineering in my career.

               Finally, I grew in my boldness to get involved. I am 50% introvert and 50% extrovert. I love being in a group and letting loose around people, but I tend to be nervous to introduce myself or initiate conversation with new people. COVID-19 made finding friends much more difficult since most of us spent most of our time in our dorms and a lot of people did not even come back to campus. I learned to grow out my shell and get involved in clubs and programs. I found a church with some awesome people that I know will support me through the good times and the bad. I became friends with other first-year engineers who will be going through the same journey with me the next four years. I joined a sorority of women in engineering who have already made me feel welcome and who I plan to live with next year. I made new friends and kept in touch with old friends. I joined a couple clubs and now have leadership positions in Women in Technology and ACM-W. I impulsively joined the Bearcat marching band at the last minute first semester. I began research in an orthopedics lab at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Getting involved on campus is what kept me sane during a time where the world felt like it was spinning out of control. I am proud of the roots I have established at this university and the relationships I have formed.

               If someone would have told me any of these things a year ago, I would have laughed so hard. Growth is not always talked about or praised, but it is essential to living a rich life and discovering your full potential. I would not take any of it back for the world and I cannot wait to see what is in store for me this coming year.