Wow. I don’t even know where to start…perhaps at the beginning?
This year has been incredible. Coming from the small NorCal town that I call home, I had no idea what to expect in Los Angeles. I was incredibly anxious and excited to start school at one of the most challenging academic centers in the world and meet many of the amazing individuals I would come to call my friends.
To be completely honest, the beginning of my first semester was difficult. The adaptation from my rural life and high school setting took some time, but once I settled in things really took off! My classes were academically challenging, but one distinct difference that I noticed in my lectures was that my professors challenged me to learn and grow as a student rather than just try to get the best grade possible. They taught me that placing an emphasis on understanding the “why” and the “how” would ultimately give me greater success than focusing on the “what”. That promise held true, and to this day I continue to grow and develop as a student. One of my favorite projects of the first semester was competing in a startup business competition (VSII) where students make a conceptual business plan and pitch it to potential investors; our group made it past the preliminary round, but was ultimately not selected for funding… There’s always next year though!
My second semester was similar to my first, except I started to become interested in searching for summer employment and research possibilities. Knowing that freshman normally don’t receive internships or job opportunities, I applied for many positions available through USC Career Services, USConnect, and positions that I had heard about through friends and mentors. I was surprised and excited to learn that I had received a summer position at USC working with summer conferences. I also applied for several research positions near campus, a couple of which I am currently waiting for results on.
All in all, this year has been one of the best of my life, and I continually look forward to what challenges and experiences await me as a sophomore!
