It's surreal to think that I'm in my last year of college. Reading over my Autumn 2018 reflection from HONORS 100, I am transported right back to that moment nearly 3.5 years ago. I talk a lot about planting roots and finding where I belong, but if I have learned anything since then, it’s that I was not where I belonged back in my first year at UW. While I am proud of myself for dictating my joy and enthusiasm for this newfound community via clubs like Running Club, AED, and Spanish Club, I know now that I was hiding the loneliness, lack of confidence, and burn out that I was really feeling. Sure, there were good moments and even great moments freshman year, but they pale in comparison to the pure joy and belonging that I feel now as a senior. I am no longer in AED or Spanish Club. I’m not a general biology, pre-med driven student. I deviated. Or rather, my roots twisted and found new, more fulfilling paths. I chose to pursue a double-degree in Microbiology and CHID, something that I NEVER saw myself doing. I ditched all of the over-competitive, hostile pre-med clubs and seminars and focused on enjoying undergrad and truly learning rather than blindly preparing for and worrying about a future that I knew I would attain in due time. I still remember that low test score (a D on my first Accelerated Gen Chem exam) that I referenced. Little did I know that there would be way more tears, heartache, and imposter syndrome as I navigated the deprecating grading techniques of weed-out STEM courses. But I persevered. I made it, and I now have a toolbox to overcome those letdowns.

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Although this past year has not been what I expected with online school and the anxiety of a global pandemic, Autumn Quarter 2021 was the best term of my entire college career. I finally built the community that I yearned for, and this term was reflective of that. It was full of football games and tailgates, long runs with good friends, movie nights and Bachelorette Wednesdays, costume parties, Farmers Markets, baking, intramural soccer games, study nights, watching UW Men's Soccer make history, and many more little moments that make college so SO fun. This term was also full of fear and doubt about the future and the reality that this college experience will be coming to a close in six short months. It’s just really crazy to see how far I’ve come in these past four years. While my overarching career goals haven’t changed, I’ve gained so much more validation, confirmation, and confidence that medicine is the area I want to pursue. If anything, my humanities coursework have almost prepared me for a career in medicine better than any STEM class ever could. Thus, I’m so proud that I took the leap to pursue a dual degree, because the conversations, readings, projects, and topics that I have been able to critically engage with over these past few years have greatly impacted my life and my view on the world. I've also gained confidence in my personal life and built the friendships and relationships that will remain in my life forever. Thus, as I leap into the homestretch of my college career, I hope to continue to challenge myself academically and socially to learn, grow, and find joy in the simple moments.