Take a Leap
In the previous post, I discussed the importance of not buying into the low expectations others place on you. When I was in high school, I did not do a good job of drowning out the negative voices in my life. It wasn’t until I was a Junior in highschool that I had learned how to overcome the bigotry of low expectations. Thankfully, I had the benefit of having positive voices in my life that provided an important counterbalance to the lies I was being fed. That said, there was one low expectation I just could not get over. That expectation was that I was not fit for college. By the time I graduated, I had no idea of where I would go, what I would do, or who I would one day become. In many ways, I questioned if I was enough. Could I really push the limit of what I thought was possible? I would only know if I took a leap.
Athens Bound
When I started my sophomore year of college, I had become someone I never thought I Would be. No longer did I buy the lies that said I wasn’t enough. No longer did I let others define for me what I could do. With the help of tutors, mentors, and excellent teachers, I stood ready to step into who I was made to be. Beginning in the middle of the year, I started looking at colleges where I could transfer and continue my education. I was mostly considering small schools. After looking at many schools, I found that none of the small schools interested me. So, I started considering larger universities. Ultimately, I chose to apply to the University of Georgia. A few months after applying, I got the official letter of acceptance. When I read the letter, I couldn’t help but think back to all the people in my life who said I would not be enough. This letter was physical evidence that these individuals were dead wrong. This was my vindication. My chance had finally come to show what I was made of.
Between the Hedges
On day one of classes my life between he hedges began. With the help of my academic advisor, I selected a major and began my journey between the hedges. At that time, I wanted to go into the field of child life. After considering a few majors, I ultimately decided to major in Human Development and Family Sciences. In the two remaining years I spent at the University of Georgia, I learned from incredible professors and truly found a new home within the college of Family and Consumer Sciences. In the process of completing my undergraduate education, I made a key decision. That is, I chose to no longer pursue Child Life as a profession. In my view, I wanted to focus on the challenges transplant patients experienced within and outside the clinical setting. After much research and reflection, I decided to apply to social work graduate programs. Shortly before graduation, I found out that I had been accepted to the Social Work program at the university of Georgia.
Next Stop…
On the day I graduated from the University of Georgia, I had mixed emotions. While I was excited to graduate, I couldn’t help but think about my transplant friends that never lived to have the chance to attend college. As the fireworks went off at Stegman Stadium, I looked into the night sky and had a powerful thought. I’m not done! I was about to go to my next stop. At this stop in my journey, I would face the unknown territory of graduate school.
Kidney Trails 