Today I realized that I hadn’t really blogged much lately (and by lately I mean at all) since the summer. I’ve been exceptionally busy and I haven’t really had the time or the energy to write about myself. Although, given my past few months I probably should have taken some time out for introspection. I guess I can start with the general things.
My school year started off with Race in The American Musical, a Music History class that I got to take with one of my favorite professors at CC, Ryan Bañagale. My next classes were Youth, Power, and Social Movements taught by Maria Varela who was an active member of SNCC during the Civil Rights Movement, Research and Design for Anthropology Majors which really helped me to zero in on a topic for my thesis, and then Women, Men, and Others: A Study of Gender Cross Culturally which was an awesome class that culminated in an awesome class wide Community Based research project.
I think my first semester academically was one of my best at CC and I really worked hard to do well in all of my classes. It was really cool to be around so many influential people and really open myself up intellectually to all that CC had to offer. One thing I think I’ve taken for granted is the wealth of knowledge and expertise that is available at CC through it’s faculty and staff, we have some really reputable people who have made many strides in their fields and sometimes I can’t even believe the people that I get to meet. Of all my professors, I think that Maria Varela is one that I will never forget. Knowing the things that she did as a student and how involved she was in an organization that literally changed American society leaves me in awe every time. And then being able to speak with her and pick her brain about activism and community organizing and mobilizing people is an opportunity that not many people get to have.
Personally, first semester was a struggle. I was really stressed out to the point that I was having a lot of anxiety about producing for my clubs and groups and classes on top of all of the financial stuff I was dealing with. I really struggled with getting that in check. On top of that romantically I was dealing with confusing situation with a guy from home, it wasn’t surprising though because I tend to have complicated and stupid romantic relationships. That all came to a head during winter break when I realized I couldn’t put in effort for someone who clearly didn’t think they needed to put in effort for me. Long story short, it ended before it started.
Winter break was a time when I really had to deal with the things that were causing me anxiety. I had to sit down and evaluate how I wanted to move forward so that things didn’t overwhelm me like they had. I think I found a sense of clarity in my mindset. I worked, and I spent time with family and really got to have a grounded break. Then I went back to school for half block and took Accelerate Portuguese which really ignited my passion for being challenged. I think I had a huge transition in mindset over break, it was refreshing.
Now that I it is second semester and I’m staring my Senior year in the face, I have started to get a little panicked about my future. Not that I don’t think I won’t be able to find something that I like, but that I don’t really know what I want to do. The end game is the same, I want to impact my community greatly and do significant things for underprivileged people, but there are so many ways to do it. So, right now I’m trying to figure out my plan of action for the next couple years. But hey at least I’ve got a house!
For now, I think that this has been a good enough update, don’t want to write a novel, but perhaps I’ll start updating more often.
A dopo!
