Year 1

I originally started my college career off at Cleveland State University. At the time, I was looking for an institution that was close to home, in a city environment, and one that I could truly figure out who I wanted to become as a professional. I was interested how the connections to the city of Cleveland would benefit me and at the time, I wanted to do environmental work with Lake Erie. I was enrolled with an Environmental Studies major and an Environmental Science minor. I was thoroughly involved in their campuses TRIO Program, Women's Club Soccer team, and the Club Tennis team as a player and social media chair.

My first semester was filled with the trials and tribulations that one typically has their freshman year, and I found myself slightly disappointed in the involvement levels on campus. I approached my STEM schedule with excitement and nervousness. I explored in labs and with different organizational and study methods. My first day of class I woke up 3 hours before my first class because I was so anxious, I did not think I deserved to be in college and that I should have taken a gap year. I had to work myself through my feelings and face this new challenge head on. With this new start I depended on my new friends, advisors, and professors to reassure myself. I am forever thankful for my support system at CSU.

Through my first winter break I planned to branch out even more and chalked up my disappointments to my own shortcomings. I went into my second semester with a positive attitude and hope. As my second semester went by, I found myself with the same feelings that I had my first semester. I wanted a campus full of excitement, pride, and people who were as passionate as me in being involved. I continued the extracurriculars and started traveling with the Club Tennis team more, working on my game, taking pictures for the social medias, and getting accepted into an unforgettable TRIO trip to Washington, D.C. From that trip I came to the realization that I wanted to work with people more than the environment. The idea of a change in major floating in the back of my mind. Looking back, my first year taught me resilience, independence, and the importance of seeking environments that truly support my growth. It was the year I realized that finding the right place matters and that it’s okay to want more for yourself.