As a senior set to graduate this May, when the time came to plan my post-grad life, I’m willing to admit that I’ve had my fair share of existential crises. However, as the days come closer to turning my tassel from right to left, this once familiar feeling of panic has surprisingly disappeared.
While at UCF, I made it a priority to always appreciate how fortunate I am to pursue a higher education at such a great and diverse school. Whether it was growing as a writer by joining Her Campus, gaining real-world experience through multiple internships or choosing to surround myself with dreamers and doers, I never wanted to neglect the unique opportunities I’ve had to grow here both personally and professionally.
Though this go-getter mindset and feeling of gratitude served as constant motivators for me to do well in school, a big part of what has always kept me going was my desire to fill an empty space in the creative industry. As an Asian-American woman who veered off the traditional path of pursuing a career in a hard science, I believe I began college having taken a big risk in wanting to make a name for myself in the creative world. For reassurance and guidance, I wanted to find people who have similar backgrounds or goals as me. I often found myself searching for people that looked like me in my classes, clubs or internships, only to disappointingly—but not surprisingly—fall short nearly everywhere I went.
Although experiencing this lack of representation was at times frustrating and discouraging, it made my goals in creating change in this space even more important. Fortunately, as time passed, I began meeting other people whose upbringings and dreams aligned with mine; people who celebrated inclusion and diversity; people who, in the face of adversity, still unapologetically decided to pursue their passions.
Just as there were countless people that helped me get to where I am today, I know I’ll soon become the person that will be doing the helping. As a soon-to-be graduate, while I’m of course excited to say goodbye to group projects, UCF parking and 8 a.m. classes, I’m even more excited to take the creative world by storm and to celebrate who I am in this ever-evolving space. Most importantly, as an Asian-American woman, I’m incredibly excited to enter the creative industry knowing I will, in fact, be someone to somebody else—someone I didn’t have, and someone I know somebody else needs.