College: It’s Much More Than a Degree
As a senior (almost graduated) now, I can tell you that college wasn’t exactly how I had pictured it in high school. My life plan? Completely changed. My friendships? All new! And don’t even get me started on relationships…
All the things that were once absolute in my life totally changed, and I’ve learned to be okay with that. Growing up in a tiny farm town, I always knew that I’d go straight to a four-year university. I never had a “dream school” that I followed through sports or anything like that, so I had a completely clean slate when applying to college. Maybe a little too clean…I ended up applying to more than 10 schools. I wanted to have a fallback school if nothing else worked out, a school that I wanted to go to and knew I could get into, and then a couple of schools that I wanted to go to but wasn’t sure if I’d get in.
In the end, it came down to Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. I was awarded very similar scholarships based on academics, so ultimately, my choice came down to a cultural fit. I didn’t realize this when I decided, but now I see how Gonzaga was the perfect school for me.
I started my college career majoring in Biochemistry with the dream of becoming a plastic surgeon and working on a Mercy Ship. These ships go around the coast of Africa and perform pro-bono surgeries on cleft palates, tumors, etc. But that plan changed after I secured an internship at a local hospital through UCLA.
I was put on early morning and late-night shifts at the hospital to help nurses with anything they needed. Honestly, as much as I disliked this internship, it probably saved me thousands of dollars and a mid-life crisis. The work was completely hands-on, and I got to see the medical field in a way I never had before. Because of it, I learned that the medical field wasn’t for me, and I’m so glad that I did.
This rounded off my freshman year, and I had to figure out my next step. I talked with an advisor and decided to change my major to business administration with a focus on marketing. I changed my four-year plan and got started in the business world. I felt like I was already behind my peers because I had just spent the past year studying a completely different field. I was hearing about people pitching business ideas and securing internships…I knew I had to do something to catch up to them. So, I direct messaged a local food blogger, Spokane Eats, to see if she was looking for someone to join her team.
She told me to email her my resume and cover letter, so I hurried to figure out what a resume should look like and wrote a cover letter (that now makes me laugh). I was asked to meet her for an interview, and at the end of our conversation, she gave me my first assignment, a blog post: “Where to Find Pie in Spokane”. This internship quickly transpired into a friendship that I will forever be grateful for.
Working with Chandler, the founder of Spokane Eats, gave me the experience needed to secure a job with Victory Media. Here, I was able to create content and manage local businesses’ social media accounts. I also got to do voice-overs for radio spots and commercial work for television and social media marketing.
I’ve come a long way since that first blog post and sincerely have college to thank for finding my passion. I’m a super organized planner who is always on the move, but I’ve learned to embrace the things that aren’t always in my plans.
I did my best to summarize four years of successes, failures, decision-making, and more into one blog. Know that this was the briefest summary of everything I learned and how much I have grown since starting my college journey.
I am the biggest people person and absolutely LOVE getting to talk to people, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to ask questions! You can find my information on my contact page or direct message me on Instagram…you never know what might come of it ;)
Bonus: if you’re considering applying to Gonzaga - let me know, and I can get your application fee waived!