LEARNING STATEMENT
I entered college with big dreams and high hopes for my time at the University of Washington. Early fall start gave me an opportunity to jump into this experience even sooner. Everything about Seattle mesmerized me. I remember how giddy I felt attending classes, meeting new people in my residence hall, and exploring all that this beautiful city has to offer. Within a month I had met the people that would become my best friends. Together, we went through the same highs and lows, failures and devastations, celebrations and accomplishments. I changed my life plan from orthopedics to physical therapy, my major from biology to medical anthropology and global health, and in the process learned who I was. As my time at UW comes to a close I feel an intense attachment to the place and people that have become my home.
College has been a journey to no particular destination. I have always been a planner, a maker of lists. Having a five-year plan calms me. When my sister graduated from college she had no plan, moved to Spain to teach English and subsequently decided to spend a year in South Korea as well. Freshmen me thought she was insane. It was only when I realized how constricting my life plans were that I came to appreciate the beauty in the unknown. I started making more flexible plans. Before I knew it I was completely committed to quitting the pre-medical track that was making me so unhappy and started full throttle into physical therapy; a decision I could have never made freshmen year.
In seven months I will be beginning my doctorate in physical therapy. In August I sent my applications off to eight programs and I left the country. Sitting on the plane to Rome was both thrilling and terrifying. I had no idea what to expect and how my travels would shape me. More than anything, I learned how important it is to leave your comfort zone and do things that scare you. Fear is a good thing. The scariest decisions are the life changing ones. So, as I end my time at the University of Washington I am trying to welcome the unknown that is my future, to truly live, stop planning, and appreciate the experiences, people and places that brought me here today.
I entered college with big dreams and high hopes for my time at the University of Washington. Early fall start gave me an opportunity to jump into this experience even sooner. Everything about Seattle mesmerized me. I remember how giddy I felt attending classes, meeting new people in my residence hall, and exploring all that this beautiful city has to offer. Within a month I had met the people that would become my best friends. Together, we went through the same highs and lows, failures and devastations, celebrations and accomplishments. I changed my life plan from orthopedics to physical therapy, my major from biology to medical anthropology and global health, and in the process learned who I was. As my time at UW comes to a close I feel an intense attachment to the place and people that have become my home.
College has been a journey to no particular destination. I have always been a planner, a maker of lists. Having a five-year plan calms me. When my sister graduated from college she had no plan, moved to Spain to teach English and subsequently decided to spend a year in South Korea as well. Freshmen me thought she was insane. It was only when I realized how constricting my life plans were that I came to appreciate the beauty in the unknown. I started making more flexible plans. Before I knew it I was completely committed to quitting the pre-medical track that was making me so unhappy and started full throttle into physical therapy; a decision I could have never made freshmen year.
In seven months I will be beginning my doctorate in physical therapy. In August I sent my applications off to eight programs and I left the country. Sitting on the plane to Rome was both thrilling and terrifying. I had no idea what to expect and how my travels would shape me. More than anything, I learned how important it is to leave your comfort zone and do things that scare you. Fear is a good thing. The scariest decisions are the life changing ones. So, as I end my time at the University of Washington I am trying to welcome the unknown that is my future, to truly live, stop planning, and appreciate the experiences, people and places that brought me here today.