Major: Social work
Hometown: Columbia, South Carolina
How USC changed my life: When I first came to USC so many things were changing in my life, and they weren't all for the better. I began to isolate, and my grades weren't that good. I had a friend I made in a club tell me about various services available through USC. I didn't immediately go for help; I kept thinking that I was a college student so I should be able to figure it out. To summarize a long journey, my friend talked with me in one of my lowest moments; I decided asking for help was better than the alternatives. I didn't get better without one heck of a fight, and I had to learn that doing your best is different every day. I had to learn that the help I was given wasn't a shame I needed to hide, it was caring and clarity for my distorted view. I still stumbled and messed up, but things got better bit by bit. I got the help and friendships I needed to become the person I am supposed to be. I didn't get to this spot when I would have liked, but I got here all the same. I will always have USC to thank for connecting me to the people who would change my life forever.
A favorite memory: One of my favorite memories at USC was when my team from a group project, after we bonded over the semester, had Thanksgiving together. We all made something and gathered at one of our homes, and I am so thankful that I was able to know these people. We continued our friendships the rest of our graduate journeys.
Advice for incoming students: You are going to fail something, but that is a good thing. Not just your place of education but your place in life will change. You will meet all kinds of people, and hopefully gain multiple perspectives on things. Do not be afraid to be wrong or to ask why, this time is one of the best times to be wrong; you can get so much more information and perspective in a good-sized college. You will have access to so many things, clubs, information, sports, foods, and kinds of friend groups. Do not fixate on something/someone if it doesn't work out, learn, give yourself grace and move on. There are so many things you won't understand for a while, but you will before college is over. You do have power in your life, make it the best life you can; no one else is living it.
What I’ve learned about myself: Who I was and who I am now have similarities, but are different from each other. That is a good thing, as people we are supposed to grow and adapt over time. Everything I felt I did right and everything I felt I did wrong made me who I am today. Things may take more time than you expect them to take, or even go much faster than you had hoped. I see that as a reminder that while I can control some things, I don't control everything. Somethings you don't understand until your brain is ready or you've had the experience. That doesn't make you less than if you don't understand yet, it just means you haven't found what will make it "click" into place yet. You will get to where you need to be, so long as you keep trying your best.
What helped me succeed: As a graduate student I was in the College of Social Work, and the entire team of people made a huge difference in my life. I had never felt the level of care, support, friendships in any other academic institution. While there were many who helped me, I feel I have been impacted the most by Naomi Farber, Rhonda DiNovo and Eunika Simons. I was able to fight many a battle with their support, validation and care. I learned to keep trying when everything seemed to be going wrong and that I "needed to take myself off the clearance aisle." I was worthy as is, right now. I didn't need someone else's opinion for the facts of my life. Sometimes I have to repeat that quote to remember it on a bad day, I need to remember to keep myself with the really good stuff in the "store of life" and I really hope that you will learn to do that too. You got this, you really do.
What’s next: This summer I am heading with the Social Work team to study Social Work and Buddhism, afterwards I hope to work with LRADAC or Three Rivers Behavioral Health and work toward getting my LISW-CP. I will always be trying to learn more, so I may find myself back at USC to do so.