2022 LSU Gumbo - Book - Page 199
As the school year comes to an end, it’s the start
of something new for graduating seniors. Some
have plans, and some may not; some may still be
figuring out what their next move is.
Many graduation college seniors are in their
early to late 20s. You never hear the story of those
in the 30s or beyond.
As freshmen, students usually feel excited, but
lost. Often, they are told they have time. As for me,
I returned to LSU in my late 20s in a pandemic.
Some say it was insane, but I knew I had to
come back to finish what I started. I initially
started my college career ten years ago as a science
major.
As I come close to ending my education at LSU,
I will be graduating in theatre as a first-generation
college grad. What caused the drastic change? Life
happened.
When I returned to complete my undergrad,
there was a choice I had to make. First, I had
to demote myself from a promising career that
supported me financially alone.
I’ve been working since I was 18, so I have
an idea of the workforce, networking, and
connections. I never had any breaks, nor any other
support. I decided to give up on what I’ve been
working on to focus on school.
As many know, school itself is a full-time job. In
returning to maintain any aid, I had to be a fulltime student. Although this decision was tough to
make, I was determined.
Second, I had to get back into the momentum
of studying. Now, I was a part-time student once, so
I knew it’d be difficult. I was not used to reviewing
for an exam covering nearly five chapters or doing
over 30-page readings overnight. It took me two
semesters to adjust to the college student lifestyle
again.
Without a doubt, I’ve been exhausted since
2020 (not including the pandemic). I was
considered an independent student. I supported
and financed myself. I worked summers, nights,
and weekends to compensate for hours throughout
the week. I saved on food, housing, and school
supplies to get by; I also got a dramatic pay cut. It
amazes me internships are unpaid and require so
much work. But I knew I had to do it.
As my time at LSU comes to an end, I would
not trade all the sacrifices I’ve made. I participated
in school activities, discovered talents I never knew
I had and published a few articles (18-year-old
me would have never guessed that). On top of all
that, I was on the President’s Honor Roll for three
semesters in a row. I hope my journey inspires
others and never underestimates themselves. If I
did it, everyone else can.
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