Hi friends 🙂
How has time passed by so quickly? I am now a senior in college, graduating in the spring of 2023! Of course, I didn’t meet some of the goals I set, but I did surprise myself with some of the things I did do. So as always, here’s a recap:
Community:
I really found what the term community means. I moved to an off-campus apartment with my friends, one of them being my freshman roommate! I’ve grown so close to those girls and can depend on them for anything. I also got to spend time with some new honors college classmates on my trip to Yellowstone! I sat and bonded with my new friends during our 8-hour layover at the airport, on the plane, in the hotel, and in the car! One of my greatest moments is going to Indianapolis to cheer on the men’s basketball team when they took on Tenessee in March Madness! It was such a once-in-a-lifetime and cool experience and I’m so glad we had the chance to bond as a team during the trip. In my opinion, there’s no better way to develop relationships than to spend quality time with each other. I really feel like the friends I’ve made over the past few years have become like family! I am going to miss the close proximity and how we could just see each other in a matter of minutes.
Scholarship
I got chosen to serve on the dean search committee of my college (College of Education, Health, and Human Services). I was involved with the process of reviewing all applications, giving my input, and choosing who moves on in the application process. After narrowing down the applicant pool to 3 applicants, I got to sit amongst department chairs, deans, and professors at Taproot Tavern to get to know each applicant in a business dinner setting. I maintained my good GPA which is currently sitting at a 3.9 (hopefully it stays or improves). I have also served as a teaching assistant to my psychology professor and learned the behind-the-scenes of how a class works. My biggest academic accomplishment was being able to persevere through the hard classes while still enjoying my time at Longwood. I am so proud of myself for being able to balance everything from work, friends, cheer, clubs, and school no matter how many times I wanted to quit or give up. I am currently applying to graduate schools and I think that the things I have learned at Longwood have set me up for success in the future. I hope to finish strong in my last semester before graduation!
Service
I definitely met my goal of being involved in more community service! After joining Mortarboard, I was able to participate in more community service opportunities. I gave book donations to the children’s hospital, helped donate items for Madeline’s House, and bought mashed potatoes to give to an organization that cooked them for those in need at Thanksgiving. I also participated in a service event that prepared care kits for those who experienced sexual assault. I enjoy giving back to the community and I hope that I can continue when I graduate from Longwood.
I wish I could go back to the start and relieve some of the experiences I’ve had over my time at Longwood. I will cherish these memories forever and will never forget how Longwood made me into the person I am today. My only hope is that I continue on my journey of self-growth and recognize that it’s okay (and perfectly normal) to have some setbacks. With everything that I’ve learned, I know that wherever I end up in the future, I’m going to be doing something that I’m proud of.
Signing off,
Kelly Jarratt <3