On Sunday, I will not only turn 22 but I will also walk across the stage and collect my degree. After spending 3.5 years in undergraduate school, I’m finally crossing into the real world.
To be honest with all of you, that’s still an incredibly scary thought.
I fell into my major by accident. It grew into a passion and caught fire from there. There isn’t really a lot more to say about it. I LOVE public relations and hope to be working in the field for the rest of my life. Ideally, I’ll be some crazy PR powerhouse for the NFL or some professional baseball team somewhere, but I’ve got some living to do before that happens.
Me at Lucas Oil Stadium, Home of the Indianapolis Colts – In the Press Box!
(Photo courtesy of author)
College taught me so much, not just about life, but about myself. For example, I learned that I really cannot stand science classes, no matter how many times I tried to convince myself that I was going to be the female McDreamy. On the other hand, I fell in love with digital photography and graphic design. You can fail a class and still survive, and if you talk to your professors, most of them will understand your incredibly human problems (like being unable to sleep for weeks at a time). There isn’t any part of your educational experience that you can’t make your own in one way or another. No one tells you that at orientation. You decide how you want it all to work out.
I became incredibly depressed my second year in school. I was bullied and felt that I couldn’t talk to anyone. I was in a full course load that I hated and I refused to ask for help. I ignored my own warning signs until finals week and ultimately had to pick up the pieces. Looking back on it now, I was in the wrong major but at the same time, the effort it took to get myself out of that situation and into a better one took more than just finding a good advisor. It took strength, courage, and a whole new mindset. A mindset I would carry with me until my graduation day.
Anyone can do anything they set their mind to. I pitched my first press release to the media after one intro to PR class and made the news. I got an internship as a sophomore when it asked for juniors and seniors. I got agency experience as a junior when they closed their applications to only seniors. All the things anyone ever said I couldn’t do, I went out and did. I crossed into a new major and made sure people knew I was here to stay. I joined clubs, I went to meetings, I talked to my professors and I read the books.
(Photo courtesy of author; First Ever Full Spread in the Paper)
I put myself in the driver’s seat. And I encourage anyone else to do the same.
Her Campus served as a guiding light for me, especially as I switched my major and crossed into communication. I loved to write and had never had girlfriends that also loved what I loved. Every girl in this organization embraced me for exactly who I was. In my darkest hours, I thought of these ladies and the laughs we shared. In my happiest times, I am standing in an NYC Subway station about to experience College Fashion Week with these same girls. These are the girls that repeated all the lines to Mean Girls and bonded over how we like our Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. These are the girls that encouraged me to do more with a Facebook page than I ever could have imagined. These girls are the reason I stayed in school.
(Photo courtesy of Dr. Theresa Russell-Loretz; Her Campus Millersville Ladies)
I joined Her Campus for a Media Sisterhood. And I certainly got it.
My stories and memories aside, as I wipe away the tears that seem to always appear when I have to say goodbye, I know that in quiet, sleepy, little Millersville I will always have a home. As I walk across that stage on Sunday, a year older and as a professional, I will proudly wear a pink cord. Every braid of that cord holds a special memory for me and enough laughter for the years to come. It will stifle my fears and make me confident. It will broaden my smile and bring me happiness. But most of all, it has brightened my future and for that I am thankful. I have never been prouder to be a Marauder…and I’m certainly most proud of being a Her Campus Millersville Collegiette.
(Photo courtesy of Her Campus Media)
Congratulations to all 2016 graduates. And to Her Campus Millersville: stay sassy, stay inviting, and always keep inspiring.
HCXO, Cayla