2022-2023

The last couple years at UC, I had been laying the groundwork for some of the interesting things I got to explore this year. In terms of academics, my classes got more specific as opposed to more general classes like Organic Chemistry and Biology. Those classes were the basis for my ability to now explore topics like biochemistry, medical physiology, and histology. This change in pace of my courses is exciting to me as I feel that I am now finally getting to traverse the electives within my major that are available to me at UCCOM.

In addition to the classes associated with my major, I have also begun taking upper level courses within my philosophy minor and was particularly challenged by my class in bioethics. This course encouraged me to think critically about increasingly relevant topics within medicine and public health such as pharmaceutical drug pricing, cosmetic surgery, and regulation of food stamps. This class pushed me to refine my communication and be clearer with the way I form arguments. I hope to continue to cultivate these skills as I embark on my senior seminar class that deals with bioethics specifically within the world of medicine. 

Aside from academics, this year was the first time I ventured out into living off-campus with the friends that I had made throughout the first couple years of college. Alongside a new environment, we were presented with responsibilities such as paying our bills, keeping our apartment clean, and keeping track of what we need to call maintenance for. While there was a bit more planning and more structured communication involved with each other, I feel like our friendship has only gotten stronger with the additional challenges we have had to overcome in the last year.  

As I slowly reach the end of my undergraduate years, I can feel the impending approach of the ever so scary idea of…adulting. I remember when I was 6 years old, I imagined people magically attained the ability to understand how to be an adult at the age of 18. I had thought it to be some sort of supplemental piece of knowledge that people were granted when they were deemed old enough. How surprising it must now be to 20 year old me, that I now realize I kind of just have to figure it out. Although, I have to admit that these past 3 years have been pretty good training for what’s to come. Not only through the classes I have taken, but also through the organizations I have volunteered for and the job experience that I now have under my belt. 

I have learned how to be strong through hardships and that there is light in dark times through the numerous conversations I have had with patients at UC Medical Center as a patient care assistant. I have learned that while there is much to understand from those that are older and wiser than me, I can still gain a mountain of knowledge about friendship and how to have fun through the younger kids I volunteer with through Bearcat Buddies. I realize that while there is no incantation that can make me a well-adjusted adult, the people I meet and the interactions with the world I procure will get me there eventually. As I start my senior year, I want to keep being open to new opportunities that come my way. I want to say yes more often than no to going out with friends, taking unfamiliar classes, and basically anything that will propel me out of my comfort zone. Now is my time to learn, if ever.