This year taught me more about independence, possibilities, and overcoming fear. These three topics connect very closely with one another. With overcoming fear, I was able to create more possibilities that helped me to grow my independence. They all cycle within each other.
Independence
After being at home, I was a bit hesitant about coming back to campus. However, I knew I had to be in person for my own growth and needs. I especially needed to be more independent because I went home almost every weekend during my freshman year at Lasell. I have this tendency to be by myself. So, I took this time to practice and started doing more activities by myself. One day, all my friends had gone home and I made myself stay. Instead of staying on campus, I decided to take myself out for the day and explore. It ended up being a really nice time! I found my new favorite boba spot, I enjoyed a mooncake in the park of Boston Commons, and took myself to dine at a restaurant. After this day, I started to be more comfortable doing things on my own. This then pushed me to attend a Bad Bunny concert by myself. I could now say I went to a concert by myself, and it was by my favorite artist!
Possibilities
Before starting my junior year, I was excited to actually enjoy being on campus and exploring Boston. I didn’t take this excitement with me during freshman year, so I was happy to have this feeling of enjoyment, especially being in an area and city that’s known for having so many universities and schools all around.
I was also ready to grow my fashion career. With this being said, I took the opportunities that I was interested in. Fashion shows, photoshoots, trade shows, trying new creative projects, participating more in class, and meeting more people in my industry. Being a fashion major, I often felt like people in my major weren’t very nice. However, letting my ego stay in the way prevented me from possibilities. So by taking risks and being more content with myself, I was able to meet a lot of cool fashion majors that I haven’t met before.
Overcoming Fear
If there was a root of all of these issues, I would say it was fear. It has often stopped me from showing my own authenticity, taking opportunities, and showing my creativity. I tried to practice overcoming this fear with little steps like sharing my opinion more, setting boundaries, trying new opportunities in my major, and talking to random people. I would often overthink and be scared because I didn’t want to upset anyone. However, I’ve learned that you can’t control how others perceive you and that now is a once in a lifetime opportunity. By practicing that today could be my last day, it has helped me to appreciate the opportunities that I take. Especially when it’s something that I have never done before. We all start somewhere, so let’s just do it!
Future Plans
Next year I will be a senior at Lasell! As scary as that might be for me, I know I’ll make it worth it. I hope to continue to push my boundaries, grow my interests, and continue to create experiences that make it feel like a movie.