“Oh the places you’ll go,” they all told me. Growing up I would read all the time. The library was one of my favorite places to visit. Mystery was always my favorite genre because I got to read about grand adventures. I never wanted to know the ending because I loved figuring it out all on my own. However, when I was about to leave for college, I knew I was embarking on my biggest adventure. This wasn’t a story I could put down and save for later. This was going to be a four-year journey that would challenge me mentally and physically. There was no predicting the outcome like in my books; I had to write my own unpredictable stories. When people say college will be the fastest four years of your life, I did not believe them at first. I thought I had all the time in the world, but it’s true these four years will fly by. As I write the final chapter of my college journey I am proud of myself for accomplishing so much during my time here, but there is still so much I want to do. Looking back on the last three years, I can honestly say I’ve changed into a whole other person. I wish I could take a mirror, see my freshman-year reflection looking back at me and see how much I’ve transformed. For the next few weeks, I’m going to post about what I’ve learned over the past three years and how they tie into CNU’s core values scholarship, leadership, service and honor.
One of the main things I’ve learned is to branch out of your shell.
In high school I tended to be more shy than outgoing. I was always very talkative with my close friends but would get nervous around people I did not know well. However, when you enter college, you have to leave your comfort zone behind. Freshman year is the best time to meet so many wonderful people and to come out of your shell. Freshman year I did what I thought was the impossible: I started the rowing club on campus. Through the process of forming the club I had to push myself more than I ever had before. One of the reasons the formation was so essential to me was because it made me into a leader. Through my long journey of forming the club, I learned the importance of leadership and that in order to be a positive role model in someone’s life there has to be a purpose and drive when leading an organization. An inspirational leader is someone who lives a life of significance. A leader is a support system to others and understands the meaning of being a part of something that is bigger then oneself. I have learned how to be a leader because of my experiences at CNU and as I continue to write my story here, I am so thankful for the opportunities I’ve had during the last three years.
