COMMUNITY
Being an 18 to 20-something-year-old is a vulnerable yet enlightening time for all. For me, I discovered that I am most energized when I’m surrounded by optimistic people who are doing what I dream to do, however many years ahead of me. At UW, I’ve found my community with the grad students in my lab and with my amazing peers in the Interdisciplinary Honors Program.
Don’t get me wrong, I felt INCREDIBLY scared and out of place at the start of my UW journey until I dove into the smaller circles that exist within the university’s walls. It is easy to feel small and insignificant at a massive school, but it is the people and friendships that you make along the way that shrink the scale of the whole UW world to the circle of people you care about most.
Through my community at UW, I’ve been able to envision myself pursuing graduate studies and research in a field that I would’ve never anticipated. I have also pursued teaching opportunities because of the people I’ve met in my Peer Educator role in Honors. I feel much less lonely in my work, and in turn, have implemented this community search into my extracurricular/professional life. With a strong community on both fronts, I’ve been able to teach and tell better stories with collaborators who also happen to be some of my closest and most talented friends.
