In what way(s) did you personally grow this year? How did you demonstrate or rebuild the resilience needed to move forward?How will you utilize resources and your support network to hold yourself accountable in continuing this growth?

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This school year required me to greatly step out of my comfort zone. It started with the Summer 2023 semester where I took online courses to be able to catch up in my new major to stay on track for graduation. A new major in an all new setting was quite frightening, but learning how to use online etiquette skills to ask for help from fellow classmates as well as professors was something I did to help me be able to be successful in the online classroom setting. Time management was a huge learning piece for me this semester as I had to learn to balance classes with summer fun and summer working. 

 

Fall 2023 was the first semester I had on campus in a brand new major, so it took a lot of confidence for me to walk into these classrooms not being familiar with any of the professors or my peers. I had to learn new people, new learning strategies, and new study tactics all while still being a college student and having to also balance my different organizations and living in a new space with new people. It was a lot, but fall semester turned out successful. 

 

Spring 2024 was the place for a majority of my growth throughout this school year. To begin, it was the beginning of my student teaching journey, which was something else I had to add to my plate on top of a full course load and all of my student organizations. I am the kind of person that wants to put in my best work in all of the different things I do, however it just felt like there was not enough time in the day to do all that I wanted to do. This then required me to take off the perfectionist hat and organize my time in a way that great work was still done, but I did not over-analyze and stress myself out completely. Doing this and implementing a strict Google Calendar schedule during Spring Break really helped me in having less anxiety towards everything college related. 

 

This semester I also joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, and learned a lot about myself and my work-ethic during this process. A lot of the time when I had issues pertaining to time management and feeling immense stress I would go through all of it alone, however joining this organization helped me to see that I am not actually alone, and I have so many friends, family, and now sisters that are there for me in any time of need. 

 

Being overwhelmed is something that happens to me often, but for the upcoming school year I will be sure to use my resources and reach out to family, faculty, and friends that I have relationships with for any help that I may need.