Essay 1: Just Existing
"This hour taken out of my day about three times a week gave my brain a chance to breathe. The air was crisper, fresher once more. I invited the chilly February air into my lungs. Time after time I felt like crying because of the rush of happiness that overcame me. I never experienced tranquility like this before, and I finally realized how to maintain it and how to find it again if peace ever escaped from my hold. Consistency with my practices brought me stability, and that was something I never thought could exist in my life."
Essay 2: The English Major Beyond the Syllabus
"Although this was supposed to be the semester that made me hate my life, I did not. On the contrary, I fell in love with reading again and the classroom I was a part of made me fall in love with being an English major."
Essay 3: Up On Press Row
"I realized that I could be all of these different things, all of these different wants, and take my time choosing what I truly wanted to pursue. It did not make me any less of a student reporter and it did not make me any less of a sports fan."
Essay 4: To Write History Through Poetry
"To write history through poetry is a hefty task - one I cannot and will not achieve on my own. But I can and I will be a part of the poets that do. It is that challenge that inspires me, satisfies a part of me as a writer that has been missing since I started creating poetry. It is not something I can achieve in a 25-piece poetry thesis. It is only the beginning."
Essay 5: What Do You Want to Do When You’re Older
"Limiting myself to my studies is not enough, nor is it true to who I am as a person. I am allowed to adapt to my environment, my thoughts, and my desires as time persists. Rather than solely focus on sports journalism or writing poetry, all of my passions and interests will be at the forefront invite – big or small – as I dedicate time to self-discovery before choosing my first road to take in life"
