Anthony Bourdain once said, “It isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you- it should change you.” When asked how being a student at the University of Arkansas has impacted my life in a positive way, the first thing that comes to mind is personal growth.
Coming to Arkansas, the excitement of living in a new place quickly wore off once I realized that I was alone in a new place with people I had never met. All I wanted was to be wanted, but the reality was to be wanted I needed to do something about it. How could people know who I was if I didn’t get to know people? The answer is simple; they can’t. Coming to terms with that is hard though, it is hard to step outside your comfort zone when you feel like you can’t even step in it. Everything I did was exhausting because I was so focused on somehow finding my comfort zone again. The truth of the matter is you will never find your old comfort zone. You have to create a new one, and in order to create a new one, you have to embrace doing things you never dreamed of. So that is what I did. I started making opportunities for myself and taking ones that were right in front of me. I went to events, volunteered in the community, and continued to dive head first into graduate school.
Being at the University of Arkansas has challenged me to reflect and fully embrace each of my experiences. More importantly, being a student at the University of Arkansas has continued to show me the importance of self-empowerment. My experiences throughout grad school have not always been pretty or comfortable. Sometimes I wanted to quit, but the journey has changed me. Being a grad student at the University of Arkansas has changed my life in ways I never even imaged. So the next time you are hesitant to step outside of your comfort zone, remember that it could change your life for the better.
