The spring semester is a time for celebration. Spring break splits up the monotony of the semester; summer is just around the corner, and for some so is graduation. I’ve been an alumnus of MSU for just one year, and last spring, my parting words to the faithful readers of The Reflector reminded us that we attend a great university. I meant what I said then, and I still do today. After graduation, I began attending Florida State’s College of Medicine, moving me one step closer to achieving a lifelong dream of becoming a physician. As you all get ready to continue doing great things with your lives, I want to encourage you to never give up on your goals and know that you are prepared for whatever life throws your way, in part due to your time hear at MSU. Here’s why.
Despite my bickering and worry throughout the toughest parts of the biological sciences curriculum at MSU, I was so relieved to find that frequenting Harned and Mitchell for four years of my life actually paid off. Almost immediately after starting at FSU, I knew that the countless days and nights spent studying during undergrad had helped to prepare me for many of my medical classes (especially biochem).
But I left MSU with more than a well-earned bachelor’s degree. I was able to represent MSU as a cross country and track athlete in the best conference in the nation. It was hard, demanding and at times frustrating, but it was also extremely important in preparing me for the next phase of life. When you’re a student athlete, you have to be a master at time management. In fact, I’d go as far as to say I earned an advanced degree in the subject. And starting a new school just two weeks after graduation and two days after the end of my collegiate track career definitely put that degree to the test. But you don’t have to be an athlete to gain this experience. If you’re really getting the most out of your time at MSU, then you know that there are a number of things you can be involved in, as well as holding a job, having a family or whatever it is that you feel passionate about.
I want to encourage all of you to stay positive and keep a hopeful outlook for your future. Even though not every day is going to be perfect, and you may break down a few times, remember you can overcome more than you think. I can recall more than a few instances where I almost threw in the towel, like when I started bawling in the middle of my speech in public speaking sophomore year; when I had a seriously bad break up; when I lost my temper with my friends and teammates (more than once); or when I got five zeros on my physics quizzes throughout one semester because I had to travel for track and my professor wouldn’t let me make them up.
However, the reason I won’t dwell on these things is that I have found (now attending another university) that these experiences can happen to you at any place and time in your life, and it’s better to learn how to deal with them as soon as possible. I didn’t always make the right choices, and things didn’t always turn out the way I wanted them to, but overall I was a much smarter student, a much faster runner and a much better person after leaving.
As I settle in for the next roller coaster ride of life, I am quietly, and calmly, thankful. If I could go back and do it all over again, I would still have come to MSU, and while I move on in life as a Seminole, I’ll always cherish my time as a Bulldog.
(And yes, I rooted for MSU in their second-round game against FSU – go Dawgs!)