My time at Concordia has been filled with thrill, lessons, failures, self-discovery, and many events that sneaked into my life unknowingly. However, did I enjoy it? Absolutely! Reflecting on my freshman year when I was not aware of the many events that lay ahead of me, I look back and my younger self and whisper: “You can do this, you will make it”. My younger self in my freshman year was very timid and scared of the things I was not used to, especially in academics. However, looking back I am glad to have gained so much from a liberal arts education here at Concordia. I will highlight specific events that had the greatest influence in my life.
First, Covid. The pandemic taught me a lot of things especially since it happened during a time I was learning independence. Working independently to take care of myself and school in the midst of a pandemic taught me the importance of resilience, communication, and outreach. I was able to navigate through this transition by holding conversations with people who I learnt from, watching people around me grow, and learning to be patient with myself.
Second, self discovery. I learnt a lot of things I did not know about myself before college. Most of them, I realized from hearing people voice out my strengths and weaknesses. This encouraged me to recognize my strengths and embrace my weaknesses. Failures from difficult classes revealed ways of building my weaknesses using my strengths and I am grateful for every moment. I am still discovering myself everyday and I am sure it will be a life long process. However, I will continue to travel this path of opportunity with gratitude in my heart.
Fourth, my Neuroscience major. Taking this class and completing my neuroscience major has allowed me to also learn so many skills. Taking biochemistry, neurobiology, and neurochemistry consecutively has deepened my admiration for neuroscience and research. This year, I read more research papers than I have ever read in all my time in school, and this was due to the research projects and classes I found myself . I struggled at first because I had not learnt the skill to navigate such literature. However, I understood that this was an important skill to learn, so I took up the challenge. Looking back now at the end of the semester, I am no longer scared of this skill I once lacked. I have been able to improve to the level of having confidence in my ability to navigate difficult academic literature. I am particularly grateful for this class because I felt encouraged to face this challenge when I encountered it initially. This is one skill I will definitely highlight on my resume from this semester.
Fifth, friends. Finding my community here at Concordia gave me a sense of belonging, especially when I struggled with different situations. I am grateful for the people who always made me realize my flaws and were kind to direct me in my areas of weakness. I am also grateful for those who congratulated me on my wins, even when I felt that they were negligible. Most times, when I felt alone, having those who had my best interest at heart reminded me of my strengths. More specifically, I am grateful for all the
I very excited to take these skills to the next journey. For me, this is only the beginning of a new transition. I wish to utilize the skills I have built to progress in my journey and career. Thank you Concordia!
