It was a step into the unknown as I started college six hours away from home in a tiny dorm room with a stranger. All I could think about was the one time I went to summer camp and got homesick within the first few days. The beginning of freshman year was both terrifying and exciting as someone who used to hate change. But before I knew it, I was surrounded by friends who stayed up late playing cards, walked 1.5 miles to Target in the hot sun, and tried to make pizza from scratch in the downstairs kitchen. That first semester was special as everyone was trying to figure out college and the stress of school had yet to settle in. By the end of it, we all saw each other less and less as the giant group of people split off into small friend groups. Not that I knew it at the time, but I found my friend group who would be my roommates for the next three years of college.
It felt like everyone bunkered down for spring semester and the enthusiasm of fall semester disappeared. I started my first ever job at one of the dining halls on campus, which I grew to have a love hate relationship with. I was kind of desperate to have something to put on my resume, and at the time a campus job seemed like a good idea. One of the best things about this semester was the spring break getaway with one of my new friends, where I went to Florida to spend a few days at the beach. The rest of the semester dragged on, as all I wanted was to relax over the summer.
As other people spent their summer at an internship, I spent mine at home completely bored with nothing to do. I made a promise to myself that I would not spend another summer doing nothing, which I kept. I had no clue what sophomore year had in store for me, but I think that's one of the best things about life. You never know what might surprise you.
Sophomore fall semester was one of the busiest and most stressful semesters I remember. I technically had seven courses I was enrolled in with a total of 18 credit hours. I was also working part time still at the dining hall. Combined with the looming pressure of finding an internship, I felt like I was busy doing everything and had no time to relax.
However, it's funny how the thing you least expect to make an impact on your life would end up changing it. I joined the OSU STEP program that semester, which was basically a way to get a $2,000 grant for anything you wanted to do. My STEP mentor ended up being a professor from the ag campus, and he let our cohort drive tractors for the day. Fast forward to the career fair, I ended up at the John Deere booth because I thought it would be funny to mention that I had driven a combine, an excavator, and a skid-steer. Apparently that story stood out enough that they invited me for an interview the next day, which I almost declined because I would have had to miss my class. Luckily, my parents pursuaded me to take it, and it led to a second-round interview where they flew me out to Moline, IL where I got a tour of their headquarters.
The bad news came when I got an email saying that they rejected me after that second-round interview. I was so upset after that, as no other company had really taken an interest in me. I thought that was my only chance. But a few weeks later, I got a phone call from John Deere asking if I was still available for an internship. Needless to say I said yes.
The spring semester, I quit my job at the dining hall and focused on being involved in clubs. At the career fair, one recruiter had taken one look at my resume and said I lacked the leadership experience they wanted. That really crushed me, as I felt like I had been trying so hard at everything else. I became more involved with ACM-W with the hopes of applying for exec board. I ended up getting a position as their Social Media and Recruitment Coordinator, which would be one of the best things to happen during college. I also became the Social Chair for Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honors society. I think this was the point where I finally felt like I had confidence in where my life was going. And I had yet to experience what would be the best summer of my life...