In 2021, I started my journey at Iowa State as the only Cyclone in my family. I had tried out for the dance team and didn’t make it, I struggled with math, and I wasn’t doing well in my business major classes so my GPA was pushing academic probation. I even tried a sorority. I had great friends that I still call my best friends and roommates, but I didn’t feel welcome in a space where I was supposed to spend most of my time, the classroom.
As a management and marketing major at the time, I realized I didn’t enjoy marketing, and ultimately, I wanted to be a writer. I had already gone through the difficulty of my core business classes, and I didn’t want to waste the efforts I had put into my business degree, so I added a second major, journalism.
I started my journey full force, contacting the Iowa State Daily to become a reporter as soon as I added my major. I didn’t care what desk I was writing for, I just needed to pursue my passion. I didn’t take it very seriously the first year, and then something clicked. I decided to apply to be an editor in my junior year, making it my biggest priority. The stakes may not have been high, but there was nothing more that I wanted than to excel as a writer.
I had gained connections with my teachers in Greenlee, which was something I never thought I would have at such a big school. Now I see these same teachers and give them hugs or say “Sup,” as they walk in the door. I was comfortable.
The Daily gave me this amazing group of friends that lifted me up every day and made me feel confident in my work. Every one of us shared the same passions in our different ways, and we all expected the best for each other. Walking into the newsroom and walking into Hamilton made me feel proud of myself and like I had a purpose.
For many reasons, I have always doubted myself, and even more so, I doubted myself after receiving bad transcripts after bad transcripts for two years in business courses that weren’t fulfilling me. I say these things to describe hope: hope for everyone searching for their purpose, searching for their passion, their comfort, and the security in themselves that they aren’t receiving from others, or most importantly, from themselves. Your purpose and passions can change, but only on your clock. No one’s opinion should matter but your own, but it’s important to find a support system that understands that concept.
People who are proud of you aren’t proud that you are following their rules; they are proud of you for making your own decisions and pursuing them with passion and dignity. I spent my first two years of college searching for validation from others when the whole time, the only thing that mattered was how I felt about myself and my decisions. With therapy, a change in majors, a loss of some friends, many conversations with my parents, and lots of time spent with my thoughts, I started to understand why other people’s opinions affected me… because I truly believed their negative thoughts about me.
It’s true that the energy you feel is what you attract, because as soon as I made some changes in my life, those things started to dissipate. I was overwhelmed with love and positivity from Greenlee, the Daily, my friends who stuck by my side, my family, and my boyfriend, all because I changed my outlook. The people that surround me now are people who truly believe in me, are proud of me, support me, uplift me, and it was all because I changed my narrative.
This article is a senior column, which allows graduating seniors at the Daily to write about a lesson, advice or something else worth sharing as they prepare to start the rest of their lives.
