.png)
By Mary Catherine Medley
As I wrap up my last semester of college, a lot of pressure and anxiety has been weighing heavy on my heart. The process of applying to law schools, interviewing, and waiting impatiently to receive a decision has been daunting to say the least. I worry each day about making the right choice and also have an irrational fear of what others will say about what that choice is. What this process has reminded me of, however, is exactly how I felt four years ago to this day.
At this time in 2020, I was frantically preparing for my McConnell Scholars interview. My anxiety had hit a peak and I felt an immense sense of pressure to do well. My freshman year of high school, I made a promise to myself that I would go to college and find a way to get it paid for, and this scholarship had become my dream.
About two weeks after my big interview weekend, I received the best news: that I had been admitted to the McConnell Scholars Program. As equal as I was thrilled, I was anxious about accepting the offer and committing to the University of Louisville. Was I sure that it was the right place for me? Would I like living in a city so different than my hometown? Would I feel like a little fish in a big pond? These were all questions that raced through my mind.
As someone prone to anxiety and overthinking, there is no better feeling than being able to confidently say that I know that I made the right decision in coming here. I trusted my instinct and followed each sign from God, and it led me to right where I needed to be. My time as a McConnell Scholar has shaped me into the person I am today and has provided me with more opportunities than I ever thought possible. Each day that I walk into the McConnell Center, I feel exceptionally grateful to be a part of something so special.
What reflecting on my experience at UofL and with the McConnell Center has taught me is that everything that is meant for me will come to me. Whether it be choosing a law school to attend, a city to live in, or people to make friends with, I am sure that what is meant to be will be. Four years ago, I had no idea what was in store for me, but boy am I glad that I stuck around to find out.
Mary Catherine, of Springfield, Ky., is a member of the McConnell Scholar Class of 2024 at the University of Louisville. She studies criminal justice and political science.