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I have never been one to write sappy reflection pieces, but since my senior year is already half over, I believe it is time. Before beginning this blog, I tried to think of significant events throughout my entire college career that I could share. Unfortunately, since the past four years have gone by so quickly, it is almost impossible for me to pin down each event, unless of course I were to go through my endless stack of journals. Instead, I have decided to write about the past six to seven months in particular.
The end of my junior year brought forth many opportunities that have propelled me further down a track toward my dream career. In May, I journeyed to Northern Ireland and worked with various cross-community organizations to bring together adolescents on opposite sides of the conflict. For more information on my participation in this great opportunity, please see my other blog. I am privileged to go back this coming summer and meet with many of my new friends to see how things are progressing. After my trip to Northern Ireland, I spent a brief stint in Munich, Germany, where I lived with a family friend and experienced the culture firsthand.
Next on my list was China. The four weeks I spent in China truly changed my life. I had the experience of being removed from technology and living in the moment. I even got myself up a 7,070 ft mountain somehow. I learned that sometimes you have to take risks (even if that means not questioning what you’re eating). Most of all, I cherish the friendships I made with our student guides. I still look forward to monthly Skype calls where I help the students perfect their English and they help me remember my Mandarin Chinese.
This semester, l also experienced more than I ever imagined. I finished my senior thesis: “Comparing Resiliency in Early and Late-Life Bereavement” and successfully defended it. My two-year research experience culminated with me driving to New Orleans for the Gerontological Society of America’s 2013 Annual Scientific Meeting. For four days, I had the privilege of attending lectures and presentations about older adults. My fondest memory from the trip is when I presented my own research and met professors and students who were conducting similar research.
Aside from the various courses I took this semester, I also spent quite amount of time working on graduate school applications. In the future, I hope to become a clinical psychologist. I always thought that once I came to the last semester of my undergraduate career, I would have difficultly saying goodbye. I truly am thankful for every opportunity I have been given, but I am looking forward to beginning a new chapter and being able to focus in on my future career. To everything there is a season–seasons I am most thankful for!
Janna Imel, from Greenup County, Ky., is a senior at the University of Louisville. She is studying psychology and political science.