Bittersweet ending to my undergraduate years

During my three years at UNT I have grown and learned more than I ever expected. Not only did I learn from my professors but people in class, at my job and the friends I made here. I know that it doesn’t just stop here. This isn’t one of those “one chapter closes and another begins” thing, but it’s close.

Graduating a year early has also brought many things in perspective. I never thought that I would just 21 when I graduate college, but here I am. Although I wish I had not rushed this, I am glad that I spent less on tuition and other necessities. I learned that I could accomplish whatever I wanted if I worked hard. I kept my GPA above a 3.5 and never failed test or class. It was hard, but if I can handle the stress of some of these semesters then I could handle the rest of my career.

I think this semester was one of my hardest and tiring semesters. Maybe it’s because I was just waiting for it to end or I got a real taste of juggling many and different responsibilities. My internship at a wonderful nonprofit tested my self-motivation while my classes tested my determination (mostly my determination not to slack off). I switched from news to PR my first year. I am definitely more content with PR, but I still don’t know if this is the right path for me.

Now starts the “what am I going to do next?” phase. I hear that questions so much from my parents, family, friends and even random people I meet who know I’m graduating. To be honest, even now, a week away from graduation, I still don’t know the answer to that question.

Some things I do know: I know that I like helping people, I know that I like thinking of creative ways to gain positive PR and I know that I want to keep talking about things happening in this profession. I hope to continue this blog. I don’t want to stop because I don’t need it for a class. Maybe I can gain a bigger readership. At least, I want a place to write about what’s going on in the world and in media.

I can’t forget to thank Amber Freeland and Samra Bufkins, who both helped me gain a little more insight into PR. I appreciate everything you’ve done for the class and me.

So, here’s to finding what I want to do for the rest of my life and this blog. I enjoyed my classes and professors, tough at times but still fulfilling, and I enjoyed my time spent at UNT, but now on to the next chapter in my life! (Sorry, I couldn’t help it.) I hope to continue to learn and grow as a professional and person.