What is the most significant event, experience, or challenge you overcame this year and what did you learn from that experience? How is experience influential in terms of how you see yourself today?
What is one thing you would change this year?
What piece of advice would you like to give yourself as you prepare for the upcoming year, be that academically, personally, or both?
How have your thoughts about who you are and what you want to do changed or evolved this year? How will that inform your next steps?
How will you use your gifts and talents to give back to the community and society?
- I found out, through an email in late December that I had the opportunity to graduate a year early. Doing this would mean taking a variety of engineering classes earlier than planned and changing my graduation year. For me, this meant that I had to rethink my college experience and quickly, because I had only a short period of time to decide. I had to choose whether to take this opportunity or to begin working towards a masters. I decided to move my graduation year, which then began the process of setting up a co-op for the summer and then subsequently coordinating living arraignments for my coop. This experience showed me that I could be very focused and adaptable.
What is one thing you would change this year?
- If I could start over, I would worry and stress less. I started off the year very nervous and worried about how I would acclimate to college and how I would do. Subsequently, I would be very anxious before each test and assignment which was unwarranted. In the end, everything worked out and was not worth stressing over. I was able to keep up with, and excel with the college level curriculum that I was so worried about.
What piece of advice would you like to give yourself as you prepare for the upcoming year, be that academically, personally, or both?
- I would give myself the advice to focus on figuring out what I want to do with the rest of my college experience. As I am realizing, time is flying by and before I know it, college will be over! I know that I want to partake in study abroad but am not sure how to fit that in with my current compressed schedule.
How have your thoughts about who you are and what you want to do changed or evolved this year? How will that inform your next steps?
- This year I have had the realization that I can be less reliant on others and more intrinsically motivated. Whether it is coordinating my living arrangements, or learning how to basic automotive fixes, I am figuring out that I am able to complete diverse tasks that before now I never had to worry about. This has helped make me more self-reliant and autonomous.
How will you use your gifts and talents to give back to the community and society?
- I plan on getting involved with Habitat for Humanity this year. This will allow me to make a difference in the community around me. This will utilize my gifts through my previous woodshop work which will give me some experience when it comes to construction.
