LivingBalanced

Before I went to college I thought for sure I was going to study dietetics. I went into college knowing I would transfer and continue on to my dietetics degree, as Duluth didn't offer a dietetics program. But I found myself not wanting to leave the people I met. I later realized I was into more of the health and fitness aspects of the human body so I studied exercise science. I always had voices in the back of my head telling me to pick a different major. Probably because I was nervous what others would think of my major. That all I do is exercise and I don’t have a life outside of exercise. Later on I realized this is what I love to do and it doesn't matter what others think. I am passionate and excited to continue to learn about health and fitness and my goal is to help others live a healthy, enjoyable life through what I have learned and am continually learning.

My college journey has definitely taught me a lot, but the most important thing I learned was to be confident and live your life. Life is too short to worry or restrict yourself from what you love most.

Freshman Year

My freshman year was a year to remember. This was the year I met a lot of my best friends and enjoyed spending time with my siblings, as we all went to the University of Minnesota Duluth together. We were all in the dorms and spent our nights watching Netflix together. The year was stressful but I learned so much and enjoyed all the friendships I had. My plan was to take general classes that would transfer over for my degree. So I stuck to the basic courses of general physiology, chemistry, biology, and interpersonal communication.

Fun fact, I got a lot of my Fridays off of classes because my class schedules just lined up that way so I spent most of my Fridays working out and cleaning while I waited for my sister to get back from her classes.

Sophomore Year

My sophomore year I was confused on what my major was supposed to be. Transferring to another school was not what I wanted. I did not want to leave Duluth and the people I met here. So I tried to find a major that I was made for and enjoyed. I tried a couple classes in social work but quickly found out that that was not the right path for me. I then switched back to exercise science and have loved every step of it. The people I met in my Exercise Science program have helped me become the best version of myself. I have learned so much from them through school and through their friendships. I am so blessed by the people I met through this program.

Junior Year

My junior year was the year I finally realized I was in the right place at the right time. I knew I picked the right major for me because I felt excited and good about my decisions, I finally felt at peace. The classes I took were very interesting to me, I wanted to learn more and work hard to do my best in these courses. My professors were another reason I loved the major so much. They gave me hope and excitement to continue to do what I love.

Senior Year

Senior year was my favorite year by far. I loved my classes and loved the friends that were in my life. I grew so much in finding myself and not worrying what others thought of me. I just wanted to do my best to help others create their healthiest selves in the future.

Some of my favorite classes were: exercise adherence, nutrition, strength and conditioning, and clinical. I love studying about the human body. Everyone is so different and I am so passionate about learning more and helping others in their journey with health and fitness. Health and fitness looks different on everyone so it is important that we understand how different each and every human body is and how we can help others feel their very best. This is why I love doing what I am doing.

This was also the year Covid-19 hit and made the end of senior year tough. I didn't get to have in person classes that I was looking forward too and my internship did not go as planned. Despite all the hardships of the year I still learned a lot and have grown into the person I am today. I am so thankful for the experiences I have had and the people I spent it with.

Remember to always keep an open mind, try new things and meet new people. You will be surprised at how much you learn and change from those experiences.

Bottom line is that these times in our lives never go as planned. You may think you will love a certain field to study but later on find that that was not the right path for you. Or you were undecided and slowly came to realize what felt right for you through general classes. Keep an open mind and enjoy every process of it. College is not easy but for many people has given them a great experience to learn from. For some people, maybe they went to college and realized it was not for them. What ever your journey is, enjoy it and learn from it. We are all created to do different things in this world. Support others and continue to love the process of your journey and others.

Find what you love and do it. Do not worry what others think, just do it and do it proud.