2016-2017: Year in Review
"There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm" -Willa Cather
My mom likes to call this year, my year of “self-discovery”. I got my first tattoo. I declared a minor. I dyed and cut off most of my hair. I signed my first lease. It’s amazing how much change can occur in one short year. Studying science as well as working at a hospital, I spend a lot of my time looking at cause and effect type relationships. For example, I work to find the source of my patient’s discomfort. In classes, I look at reactions and figure what kind of environment will best cause that outcome. I hope not to be too analytical of my life, but my “self-discovery” is an effect with a multitude of causes that I hope to share.
My first tattoo is a turtle, and it’s a good symbol of my year. I have learned a great deal about mental health; be it from training offered by UC in my role as peer leader, my abnormal psychology courses, or from my own personal experience. Often times those who suffer from mental health issues feel beaten down and lack the will to try. I’ve personally experienced such feelings; it was difficult as I saw all of these things I worked hard for slip away as I didn’t have the energy anymore to pursue them. I was scared of failure and falling farther behind. With encouragement from my parents and friends, I sought help and was greeted with a multitude of resources and advice. One thing that stuck with me was a short anecdote about a turtle. Turtles in order to move forward have to emerge from their shell. While they may be much safer and secure tucked in there, their life is unable to occur without poking their head out and moving forward. As a reminder to myself to take chances, I have a turtle up on my shoulder. Every day I get out of bed and move forward.
My first “big girl” job is at the University Hospital on the trauma floor as a patient care assistant. My grandpa loves hearing the stories I bring home. Gunshot victims who are barely pulling through to old ladies who took a fall: the variety of who I care for, and how they act, is wide. It’s one of the busiest floors in the hospital. While there is a huge amount to be learned here, the greatest lesson is how to keep a clear mind in a state of straight chaos. I remember my first Code Blue, an emergency signal for a patient requiring immediate resuscitation and care. Within minutes, the room was full of doctors, nurses, and other medical personal. It was insane. I was thrown into a line to do compressions and was eventually pulled to run EKG tests. To an outsider, it must have looked like one hot mess, but to each member of that team it was a carefully calculated procedure. We all had one goal in mind: to help that patient pull through, and she did. I think most college students can agree that life can be one big hot mess, but we have to focus on that one, end goal. No matter how crazy my life can be, I keep a clear eye on my goals in life and push through.
While my mom might not always be the biggest fan of my self-discovery phase (the tattoo was a real shock), I hope it never ends. The lessons I have been learning are molding me into such a strong individual. I see myself growing and taking ownership of goals and characters that the Honors program teaches: community engagement, creativity, global studies, leadership, and research. Here’s to another year at UC and whatever I accomplish next.
My first tattoo is a turtle, and it’s a good symbol of my year. I have learned a great deal about mental health; be it from training offered by UC in my role as peer leader, my abnormal psychology courses, or from my own personal experience. Often times those who suffer from mental health issues feel beaten down and lack the will to try. I’ve personally experienced such feelings; it was difficult as I saw all of these things I worked hard for slip away as I didn’t have the energy anymore to pursue them. I was scared of failure and falling farther behind. With encouragement from my parents and friends, I sought help and was greeted with a multitude of resources and advice. One thing that stuck with me was a short anecdote about a turtle. Turtles in order to move forward have to emerge from their shell. While they may be much safer and secure tucked in there, their life is unable to occur without poking their head out and moving forward. As a reminder to myself to take chances, I have a turtle up on my shoulder. Every day I get out of bed and move forward.
My first “big girl” job is at the University Hospital on the trauma floor as a patient care assistant. My grandpa loves hearing the stories I bring home. Gunshot victims who are barely pulling through to old ladies who took a fall: the variety of who I care for, and how they act, is wide. It’s one of the busiest floors in the hospital. While there is a huge amount to be learned here, the greatest lesson is how to keep a clear mind in a state of straight chaos. I remember my first Code Blue, an emergency signal for a patient requiring immediate resuscitation and care. Within minutes, the room was full of doctors, nurses, and other medical personal. It was insane. I was thrown into a line to do compressions and was eventually pulled to run EKG tests. To an outsider, it must have looked like one hot mess, but to each member of that team it was a carefully calculated procedure. We all had one goal in mind: to help that patient pull through, and she did. I think most college students can agree that life can be one big hot mess, but we have to focus on that one, end goal. No matter how crazy my life can be, I keep a clear eye on my goals in life and push through.
While my mom might not always be the biggest fan of my self-discovery phase (the tattoo was a real shock), I hope it never ends. The lessons I have been learning are molding me into such a strong individual. I see myself growing and taking ownership of goals and characters that the Honors program teaches: community engagement, creativity, global studies, leadership, and research. Here’s to another year at UC and whatever I accomplish next.