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After asking several friends, classmates and professors what they thought I should reflect on today I came to the conclusion that I cannot fairly sum up my Jewell Journey in three to five minutes. However, I am going to do my best.
When I was recently having a meeting with Kevin Shaffstall I was asked two things. Kevin first asked what I would change about my experience on the Hill from the past four years. Pausing briefly I responded by saying that I look back on my time at Jewell with no regrets. I cannot imagine my experience here without any one of the many meetings, activities, projects, late night study sessions or events. My Jewell Journey would not have been the same without the countless hours spent on the first floor of White Science Center, without spending those two beloved weeks in the Florida Everglades, without my summer internship at Baylor College of Medicine (funded by a Jewell Alum), or without the all-encompassing knowledge I gained from those core curriculum classes. I would not be able to say that I had lived my college experience to the fullest without participating in the many activities ranging from sorority life to Student Senate to the Jewell Academies of Science and everything in between. My college experience would not have been the same without challenging classes, mind-numbing discussions, or aiming to reach the high standards set by former Jewellites. I also feel that in the past four years I have grown tremendously because of my many academic, spiritual and emotional mentors. These mentors coached me in surviving academically, growing in my faith, and learning to deal with stress. These mentors coached me to stay determined, to find something in life that will make me happy and to ultimately better myself as a person.
The second question Kevin asked me that day was of the advice would I would have to give to younger or prospective students of Jewell. My advice is quite simple. Get involved, challenge yourself, build relationships with your fellow students, the administrators, and all of the faculty and staff and, above all, enjoy your time on the Hill. Looking back I cannot believe how quickly the past four years have gone by. As I near the end of my undergraduate career I am slightly remorseful about leaving the comforts of the Hill. However, to quote the popular, or not-so-popular (depending on your preference of music) song by Miley Cyrus and her dad, “I’m at the starting line of the rest of my life, as ready as I’ve ever been…” As my departure from Jewell nears, I feel that path just beyond the starting line of the rest of my life holds endless possibilities. In whatever path I take, I know that I will be able to take what I have learned at Jewell with me and use it in whatever I may do.
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