Freshman Year Review

I hear many students around campus talking about “how fast this school year went”. I nod my head and think about how in just a short week I will be done with my first ever year of college. It went by so incredibly fast, it feels like yesterday I moved in.

Then I sit and reflect on everything that happened in such a short year and realize how much I actually went through to get where I am today. I switched my major three times, finished 35 credits, joined two organizations, accepted an eBoard position, interned at a church, switched rooms, took multiple exams, met my two best friends and found my passion all in two semesters.

 I battled depression and anxiety all while learning ways to cope with life away from home. I discovered what works for me when I am upset, and I have learned how not to get upset. I found myself. I learned that I was a different person than I was just a short nine months ago. I am stronger, more passionate and overall a more open minded person.

College changed me. Some ways good, some ways bad. I am a better listener, I care about people and their beliefs. I know what I want in my future and I have found friends that will stick by me. I have learned to take naps anywhere, and I have gained the confidence to go to class before even getting ready. I have also learned that the stress of college WILL make you gain weight no matter how much you work out and eat healthily. College will make you fatter no matter how much you try for it not to. 

Something that I realized pretty early on, is how much I value my friendships at home. The people that I surrounded myself with at home, are people that I still love and cherish just as much as my new friends. I appreciate them so much. They listened to me cry, came and visited me and reminded me that home isn’t so far away when you stay in touch with the people that matter. My friends from home are my rocks. They have supported me in everything I have done and I cannot thank them enough.

All in all, this year in total sparked many emotions. I now appreciate my parents and family so much more. I live every day in the moment and I have met the two most amazing women that I know will be forever friends. I value life and family and friendships.

I also learned that college sucks. It is a phrase that every college student has mumbled at least once under their breath. College sucks, but it is also the most amazing thing at the same time. It is different, it is challenging but it is also rewarding. The late nights studying almost ruined me, the early mornings were not my favorite, the cafeteria food could have been better, some people I met were strange, not all of my professors knew my name and there are no adults around to rescue you. It is the transitional period from adolescence to a real live adult.

BUT I MADE IT. I really did. I received mostly A’s and am still on track to graduate! WOW, who would have thought? Life could not get any better than it is right now. I appreciate everything my parents, friends, and advisors did to get me where I am today. I look back to just 5 months ago where I was considering dropping out and all these people helped make sure that I made it. I owe everything to them.

This year is one I will NEVER forget. I have found who I truly want to be. I cannot wait for the three amazing years and endless opportunities ahead of me. 

 

 

Pre-Service Trip

On February 10, 2016, around seventy-five students and faculty from Central Michigan University will be traveling to Jalen Rose Leadership Academy to volunteer and lead initiatives with the students. I am so excited to be able to help the community of Detroit while growing into a more educated person on issues all around the state of Michigan.

Some social issues in Detroit that I am currently aware of is the lack of funds for public schools, the high amount of homeless, and the buildings around the beautiful city being abandoned and left to rot. I have learned about these issues by word or mouth, news articles, and school. My friend is very passionate about helping the homeless, and her knowledge has been shared with me on many occasions. Detroit, in my opinion, has always been a beautiful city destroyed by large corporations and lack of funds.

PURPOSE of the Leadership Institute: Central Michigan University is committed to preparing Michigan’s students and citizens for leadership roles in an increasingly complex and challenging society.

VISION of the Leadership Institute: The Leadership Institute prepares the next generation of individuals who will act responsibly to improve the quality of life, state of the economy, and communities in which they live and work.

This service learning experience to Detroit relates to the purpose and vision of the Leadership Institute because the trip to Detroit is going to open our eyes to a bigger picture. It is going to make us want to help our society in a different way than just volunteering at our local animal shelter. It is going to have the effect of our students wanting to make a difference on a larger scale. The purpose of the leadership institute is to create leaders; this trip to Detroit will accomplish that goal, and much more.

The vision of the Leadership Institute calls for us to be knowledgeable and aware of the problems our society faces today. There is no better way than immersing ourselves into the world that needs help. It will open our eyes to problems that we do not have to face in our everyday life, and it will cause us as leaders to want to do something to fix it.

This trip is going to teach me so much. I have to admit I have been very blessed to have grown up in the life that I have. I know that this service trip is going to make me see how other people in the SAME state as me has to live on a daily basis. Detroit is such an amazing city and it deserves to flourish again. Leaders around campus and around the world need to be educated on issues such as this one. I cannot wait to have this experience to open my eyes and educate me on different issues.

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