While I am well appreciative of the journey that I have been on during the year 2014, I will not mind saying goodbye and good riddance to this year.
I feel like I have been through it all this year. I managed to complete my undergraduate career with a degree in English. I also managed to begin my pursuit for a master’s degree in Higher Education at Syracuse University. It was not easy to get those accomplished. Life doesn’t care about your plans and that sounds a bit pessimistic, but I like to think that it is rather realistic especially with the year that I have had.
A New Plan for Grad School: I was incredibly anxious about my graduate school application and interview process and my mind was not set on Syracuse University, but in the end we found each other. I have reached the end of my first semester of grad school and I would have to say it was very tough while very rewarding. I did not enter the program knowing a lot about the field of higher education, so I am very pleased to say that I know a little bit more with a lot more in store. I am around a great group of peers and professionals and I am excited to develop these established connections.
Closer to My Dream: I started working part-time in the LSAMP (Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation) as the graduate student assistant. So far it is an amazing experience, I met many gifted students of color with different STEM backgrounds. While coming from the different side of the spectrum as an English major during undergrad, this working opportunity showed me that I can still connect to these students with sharing stories and learning more of their academic and career goals and backgrounds. I love that my position puts me right in front of the students and gives me the creative freedom to reach out to students and to help guide them in the right direction towards their career. I also love that this position is guiding me in the right direction towards my career goals in working closely with and for students of color. I also find that my supervisor supports my professional development and often does this through offering me a mixture of autonomous and joint projects to work on for LSAMP. I really enjoy being in a flexible working environment that encourages community as well as productivity.
Dealing With Loss: Nothing affected me more than the loss of family members. The beginning of my senior year, my grandmother passed away and it really hurt my heart because she was the origin of my family and was the reason for our lives. While I was getting closer to the end of my senior year, while I was accepting that my grandmother was not longer with my family, an unexpected loss happened. My uncle passed away. It was another sinking feeling for me to deal with because he was a father figure to me. At the time of his death, the last time that I seen my uncle was at my grandmother’s funeral so it definitely pained me that the next time that I would see him, he wasn’t alive. The loss of two family members affected the family gatherings that we had afterwards. I am always glad to see my family and we enjoy each other’s company but we also missed their presence and we continue to deal with loss.
As I look forward to 2015, I will not toss the memories of 2014 into the abyss. But I will put them a place so far in my mind that they will not distract me for looking for new connections, new accomplishments, new goals, new developments, and new memories. I hope that the strength that I kept with me through 2014 continues to guide me into the new year, but with less rocks and more pillows.
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