Oh How Much Can Change In a Matter of a Few Years
47 days...that's how many days I have left until I take the next big step in my life. In forty-seven days, I will be a college graduate. I cannot believe how fast the past four years have gone by. Over the past four years, I have grown exponentially as a person. Looking back to my freshman year, I was the very quiet girl who would try to hide herself in the corner of any room I entered. Today, I hold my head up high and enter every room with a sense of confidence and belonging. However, that burst of self-confidence did not just appear overnight, it took a long while to get to where I am today. I went through my freshman year as the quiet girl but began to struggle with my self-worth towards the end of my second semester. During my sophomore year, my mental health began to spiral and continued to worsen as the year persisted. As I began my junior year, my well-being and confidence improved tremendously due to a number of factors. At the beginning of my junior year, I became more involved on campus by joining a few organizations and clubs, such as Kappa Alpha Theta (a Greek sorority), Women's Soccer Club, and Student Planning Committee (SPC). Joining each of these organizations led me to meet so many like-minded people who are now some of my best friends. These organizations also helped me grow out of my shell and gave me the reassurance I needed to be my true, authentic self. Now, here I am, the most confident I have ever been and the happiest version of myself. If you had told me four years ago of all that I have done the past four years that would have been entirely outside of my comfort zone back then, I would not have believed you. However, that goes to show that a lot can change in the span of a couple of years. So now as I prepare to venture out into the real world, I will keep in mind that not everything will go as planned. Things will change whether I like it or not, but in the end, it will all lead me exactly where I'm meant to be...just like it did in college.
I love seeing my own personal growth over the years, so I can only imagine how rewarding it is to see how you've developed through your college experience. I'm sorry you hit a rough patch, but I can tell that equipped you with more strength and resilience. Sometimes we're given challenges that just prove our true capabilities.
ReplyDeleteI loved reading this post! It can be so hard to remember that everything will be fine when you are actively living in those tough times and I am glad that you have found the people and things that make you happy. I personally sometimes still struggle with remembering that everything happens for a reason and reading this helped reassure me that no matter what I will be ok. Similar to you, I struggle with mental health problems sometimes so thank you for sharing that. Sometimes we are tested with challenges to see how we would react and give us a push and we are usually better for it. Hope everything continues to go well as you get ready to graduate and I can't wait to read more of your blog posts!
ReplyDeleteThis was truly wonderful to read. As we go through college always stressed about homework assignments and exams sometimes we forget to enjoy the little thing's because one day we'll be done for the last time. We sometimes forget to take a second to breath and to think about how far we've grown and at how much we've grown over the years. I wish you luck on your journey of the rest of your life.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on reaching this amazing milestone. It’s incredible how far you've come from that quiet freshman to the person you are today. Your story is a great reminder that stepping outside our comfort zones can lead to unexpected and wonderful transformations. Wishing you all the best as you step into the next chapter of your life – I’m sure you'll continue to thrive.
ReplyDeleteI am so happy to see how much you have grown in the past four years, Allayna. You are an amazing young woman and I know that you will accomplish so many things in the future with your creativity and joyful personality. While I am sad to see you go, I am excited to see where life takes you in the future.
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