Fall Semester

Hello!

School is here and it's my last undergraduate fall semester!

Being a senior is bittersweet because I'm happy I'm almost at the finish line, BUT I'm sad I get to leave a position where I finally found comfort after 3 long years of searching for it. As I look back to my life as a freshman, I really am proud of myself for holding on in hopes of better days. I have truly come a long way. A lot of people didn't think I'll last a semester in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and proving them wrong is a great feeling.

This semester is/will be my hardest semester ever. Although difficult, I love a good challenge because I know I'm capable of going great things. This semester I am the Latinx Event Intern for the Office of Multicultural Affairs, which comes with a lot of responsibility! Our biggest month is from September 15-October 15 as we celebrate Latinx Heritage Month. A big goal for me as an intern was to make the month memorable throughout the whole campus. Due to COVID, we were not able to hold any in-person events. Although it's sad and disappointing, I am happy to take precautionary measures to insure the health of not only myself but to everyone on campus. All events were to be held virtual, so being creative was a key skill that I needed to utilize!

Another big event in the semester for me is taking the GRE. I have rescheduled the test from September to October 31 because I did not feel as prepared as I should be. Now that the date is shortly approaching, I can see that I will never feel "ready" regardless of how many months I push the test back. A lot of my anxiety comes from the fear of standardized tests. Taking the ACT in high school and getting a low score on it will forever hold a negative memory for me. I was told by advisors and teachers that I had no choice but community college since my score wouldn't get me anywhere. I correlate those thoughts with taking the GRE and assuming my scores will not take me anywhere too. Although I know this is not true at all, I still can't convince myself different.

As I look into graduate programs and begin the application process, I have begun to wonder where I'd be one year from now. In my previous years, I always saw my future in Eau Claire, I knew I'd graduate by Spring 2021. Now, I don't know where I'll be living or working in the summer. My biggest fear is letting rejected by all graduate programs and not be able to find a job, only to find myself back to who I was in 2017 before I moved to Eau Claire. I am a very indecisive person, and I question if graduate school is even for me.

Although I'm indecisive, I know for sure I want to earn a master's degree, then eventually a PhD.

My path is unclear but I’ve learned that’s okay!

P.S. I've never been hiking before and this past month I went on a 5.5 mile hike in Madison, WI with my friends! I love trying new things.