COVID. Sophomore year, especially sophomore fall, I was getting my stride. As a first-gen low income student, I was struggling with finding community. It was hard to find my niche freshman year and what I’m passionate about. Sophomore year, I figured out the pacing of when to apply for study-aways, Duke Engage, recommenders, etc. By sophomore fall, I was like I’m going to do this — Duke in Spain, Marine Lab Summer II. My best friend was going to be in Paris while I was in Spain. End of February was supposed to be in China for DukeImmerse. I went on a different trip, but China was cancelled. School closed, and it’s fine. I had a very naive outlook on that I will still have April and summer. Everything got cancelled, fall looked uncertain, and I was just going to be home for summer. I realized that I need to go for things that I’m scared of, even if I don’t have all the knowledge. I don’t put things off and need to live in the now. My freshman year mindset was that there will always be another event or another chance. COVID showed me that there won’t always be this.
