Impactful Faculty and Staff Members
Dr. Thiele has had a tremendous impact on my UMU experience so far by challenging me as an Honors student and encouraging me to strive for excellence in any way I can. He has inspired me to continue to take up opportunities that come my way because he has shown me that he believes I can do it. Dr. Johnson has also had a tremendous impact on my experience because her class called "Peacebuilding and Social Justice" taught me so much as a student and as a person, but also because of her guidance and support throughout my first semester. I hope to have her as a professor again in the future because she is truly an amazing human and wants to see me succeed. However, I learned about Mount Union when they visited my school during my senior year to recruit students. The admissions counselor I spoke to at the time was so kind and welcoming, and I kept in contact with her. She convinced me to participate in the competition for the presidential scholarship. Had it not been for her, I would not have received that scholarship and, most likely, would not be attending Mount Union. I am a firm believer in "everything happens for a reason," and I am certain that my college experience would not be the same if I were not attending Mount.
Overcoming Obstacles
One of the biggest obstacles I have had to, and am still overcoming, is myself. I have always had a go-getter mindset, and anything I set my mind to, I would do whatever it takes to achieve it. However, this came with a lot of self-doubt and great timidity in fear of annoying others around me. I always set myself to the highest standards, and it was just who I was growing up and who I am today. I was never able to complain about some of the things that upset me like not doing as good as I anticipated in a class or not succeeding the way I know I'm capable of because my peers would invalidate my feelings and tell me not to stress about those things. For me, it was much easier said than done. It has always been a mental struggle. However, I eventually realized that I am writing my own story, and if people can't accept who I am and the standards I set for myself, I just have to let them be that way. I also learned that I am capable of whatever I put my mind to and that failure is an opportunity to learn and do better.
Career Readiness in College
My ultimate career goal is to become a pediatric occupational therapist. With this career, I will need to attend graduate school, which I feel Mount has already prepared me so well for in the classroom and through my leadership positions and opportunities. During my Honors First-Year Seminar, we went to Zoar, a historic utopian village, as well as the Cleveland Art Museum. The class was called "Brave New Worlds," and we learned a lot about utopias and dystopias, so being able to go to Zoar was really cool. I have also taken the Social Responsibility course, which allowed me to go to the Dominican Republic with some peers and do service for a small community in the country. The Social Responsibility trip has by far been my favorite experience. It taught me so much about myself, and it introduced me to a new perspective of life. I left there with a second family, which was the church community we worked with the week we were there, and I got to see the impact we made on so many people. It taught me to appreciate life and pay attention to the little things. It was truly a life-changing experience.