Sophomore Year

2020-2021

              This past year seems so surreal. Just taking a quick glance at what I have done this past year, it is fascinating to see how much I have accomplished and grown as an individual. COVID, and the quarantine period imposed by it, impacted everything from the activities I participate in, to the way I think. Initially, like everyone I assume, my social life was detrimentally affected by the pandemic, and I sought for human interaction more and more as the days went on. It was nice to be able to see people online and view classes online, but it was not the same. It took some time for me to adapt to the new style of learning and social life, but I eventually reached a semblance of my college life pre-covid by becoming more involved in extracurriculars.

              Over the fall semester, I had applied to Crossroads Health Center and gained entrance into their volunteer program. Throughout the Spring semester I had volunteered online through Crossroads by calling their patients and helping them through the medical referral process and if needed, transportation concerns. It was truly an eye-opening volunteer experience as I had never known just how many people experience drastic levels of healthcare disparities. I plan on continuing to volunteer with Crossroads through my third year at UC and hope to learn even more about the healthcare environment. This past spring semester, I also got involved in research at Dr. Bryan Mackenzie’s lab. I had been going to the lab two days a week since January. The amount of walking I have had to do to get to and from the lab is astronomical! It has made me realize just how convenient having a car on campus is. I enjoy conducting research in Dr. Mackenzie’s lab and am currently in the SURF program at UC being paid to research! Additionally, I just got admitted into the Honors Ambassadors group, so I am hoping to become more involved in the Honors community and form new connections.

              I am really looking forward to meeting more people from varying backgrounds through the extracurriculars I am participating in. After a year of college spent cooped up at home, I am yearning to reach out more! One nice thing that came out of having online classes is that I have been able to pursue such a large number of opportunities. The benefit of every meeting and class being online is that I do not have to leave my house, but I can still participate in more things. It is nice to be able to look back at the time I have spent this past year and see that I have pursued more activities and taken more classes and am continuing to maintain steady growth. Although there have been obstacles thrown at us every which way, I am fortunate that I have the strength and will to overcome those and grow as a human and as a scholar.