Second chances

Virginia Tech gave me a second chance at having a positive and fulfilling college experience. I transferred from another college that had left me disappointed with my expectations of college life and the friendships I thought I would create. I came to Virginia Tech with a plan to keep my head down and focus on my studies, purely wanting to graduate and be done with the college environment entirely. After less than a month at Virginia Tech, I realized that keeping that mindset would be impossible here.

Endless kinds of activities can be enjoyed here, which I quickly found out during the fall extracurricular festival GobblerFest. I joined the Collegiate Times, Elevate Magazine, and an environmentalist club. I even joined the Sheep and Goat Club purely because of my love for sheep. I changed my major to journalism from an environmental science-oriented major and was eager to improve my writing skills. While I initially had no real interest in reporting and was more interested in the professional writing aspect, I quickly came to enjoy my news reporting classes and made friends throughout the communications school. I learned through my studies that I love talking to people, sharing stories, and helping those who are not confident enough to tell their own.

With the rise of Artificial Intelligence, journalism felt like the safest option for a writing career because of the limitations AI will always have. AI can only regurgitate what has already been created, not report new and interesting findings. I wanted to write about my passions in environmental science, so I minored in science, technology and society to further my commitment to science reporting. My STS classes have become some of my favorite courses, and I walk out each time having learned something new and feeling energized to write.

One thing I was most scared of coming into Virginia Tech as a transfer student was finding friends. Thankfully, I won the lottery when it came to roommates and was blessed with two Transfer Peer Mentors. I went to many events with them, and eventually, my roommates became my closest friends. I could always rely on them for help with a reporting project or just to hang out. I was able to change my opinions about college and enjoy the social side, hosting small parties at our apartment for holidays like Halloween and Valentine’s Day. My roommates also taught me recipes and cooked with me, helping me feel better about my burned mistakes. I learned that with the right people, college life could be enjoyable and not a daily slog of studying and instant noodles.

This year, I am finally a senior, with my degree in sight. Strangely, I don’t feel as ready as I thought to leave this nurturing environment. It has been such a delight to be in Blacksburg and explore local shops and attend unique community events. I know I will miss being surrounded by my peers and feeling welcome everywhere I go when I leave my student life here.