My journey to higher education began four years ago during my senior year of high school. Sitting in my guidance counselor’s small,-dimly lit office surrounded by filing cabinets, I knew I had a challenge ahead of me. I was there discussing what to do in order to get into college. Being the first in my family to pursue a college education, my work was well cut out for me. I had the grades, I had the work ethic, but I did not have the financial support. In that moment, consumed by anxiety and getting close to the point of giving up; my high school guidance counselor smiled and told me I had the ability to be successful. It was on that day that the impossible became attainable, and I knew that if I gave it my all, I could get a college education.
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I was ready to succeed. But the light of confidence quickly dimmed as my first semester was far from what I expected it to be. I felt completely out of place in my major, so I switched from my initial biology to psychology, hoping that I would find more success in a different field of interest. As the semester continued, I found myself stranded in biology classes that I had lost interest in, and I felt overwhelmed in every way as I continued to fall behind in my courses. I was ashamed; I truly believed that I was the only one in a university of 30,000 who felt as if I was going to fail. Because of this shame and embarrassment, I did not ask for the help I needed until it was too late. I stumbled across the finish line of my first semester with a 1.87 GPA and the title of academic warning breathing down my …show more content…
I started my college career thinking that was by becoming a medical doctor, but I soon realized that my true passion was for helping others through the struggles of life that are not confined to a physical kind of pain. I think that I achieved this passion through a wide variety of volunteer and leadership experiences.
The earliest experience I had working directly with students was volunteering as a mentor with the Big Friend Little Friend program. Through this program, I would spend an hour each week with an elementary student working through social, emotional, and academic challenges. Through this opportunity, I learned a great deal about the significance of role models in the lives of students, and the importance of living up to that standard. It was the first time I had worked in and with a school system, but I enjoyed it a great
I was ready to succeed. But the light of confidence quickly dimmed as my first semester was far from what I expected it to be. I felt completely out of place in my major, so I switched from my initial biology to psychology, hoping that I would find more success in a different field of interest. As the semester continued, I found myself stranded in biology classes that I had lost interest in, and I felt overwhelmed in every way as I continued to fall behind in my courses. I was ashamed; I truly believed that I was the only one in a university of 30,000 who felt as if I was going to fail. Because of this shame and embarrassment, I did not ask for the help I needed until it was too late. I stumbled across the finish line of my first semester with a 1.87 GPA and the title of academic warning breathing down my …show more content…
I started my college career thinking that was by becoming a medical doctor, but I soon realized that my true passion was for helping others through the struggles of life that are not confined to a physical kind of pain. I think that I achieved this passion through a wide variety of volunteer and leadership experiences.
The earliest experience I had working directly with students was volunteering as a mentor with the Big Friend Little Friend program. Through this program, I would spend an hour each week with an elementary student working through social, emotional, and academic challenges. Through this opportunity, I learned a great deal about the significance of role models in the lives of students, and the importance of living up to that standard. It was the first time I had worked in and with a school system, but I enjoyed it a great