I started out my freshman year by coming into the US for the very first time, and I came alone. I literally did not know anyone at all in this new country that I was going to call home for the next five years. However, I wasn't scared. I was so excited to break free and be independent in this next chapter of my life. I also came to UC with goals that I have set for myself. Those goals included breaking out of my comfort zone, bravely make new friends, develop my leadership skills, reach my potential, and most importantly, becoming a better me. Now that I have reached the end of my first year in UC, I can proudly say that I have achieved all those goals.
Achievement has always been my biggest strength and passion. I love working hard and achieving things that came out of my dedication and effort. So I knew that I wanted to come out of UC with many achievements. Thus, when I started in UC, I signed up for many student organisations as I was so excited to meet people, work with others and achieve goals. It was obvious that I was in far more organisations than the average freshman, however I loved being busy and productive so much that I did not care that I had less free time than others. Being so involved in these organisations also gave me a great opportunity to meet many amazing people in UC, that I can now proudly call my friends. Everyday consisted of me running from meeting to class to friends and everything in between, and I loved every minute of it. As a result, I ended the year with rewarding experiences such as organising the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Pageant as Co-Pageant officer, planning events to promote scholarship as Director of Scholarship for Phi Sigma Rho Sorority, and initiate social events for members of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Mentorship Program as Co-Director of Mentorship. I also participated in many great programs where I learned a lot and met many inspirational people such as LeaderShape and Future Greek Leaders. In addition, I was also able to travel all the way to Louisiana to volunteer for All Hands Volunteers and help rebuild homes that were destroyed during the Great Louisiana Flood last year. I learned so many useful and fascinating skills such as how to use a nail gun, how to put up dry wall, and how to mud. All these amazing experiences gave me the chance to further develop my team work skills, communication skills, and leadership skills.
Another thing I wanted to do in UC is to travel, which is one of my biggest passions. I feel so thankful and blessed that I have been able to do a lot of travelling during my freshman year. During spring break, I got to travel to the beautiful city of Munich in Germany, as well as hike the Alps in Austria. Not a lot of people have the chance to see the Alps with their very own eyes, so I feel incredibly blessed to have done so. I have also had the chance to travel for free for the Regional Conferences of SWE and AIChE, in which I have travelled to Chicago and Pittsburgh. At the end of the year, I also had the incredible opportunity to travel to Louisiana for a service trip as a part of the Future Greek Leaders program. During my first year in US, I can proudly say that I have already been to seven states: Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Louisiana.
In conclusion, it has been more than a wonderful year. I have learned so much about myself, as well as learned from other people. I have made some of the most amazing, supportive and inspirational friends. I have gained so many unique and fruitful experiences. I finished my first year in UC with many achievements, and I can't wait to achieve much more.