What a crazy journey it's been

Toward the end of my senior year of high school when I was thinking about college, I told myself this was an opportunity to reinvent myself in a way. Not that I wanted to change who I was entirely, but I saw it as an opportunity to improve some things I maybe didn’t like as much. In high school I didn’t like how closed off I was. I often wouldn’t give people the benefit of the doubt and that would lead to me not making friends easily.

This is something I was determined to turn around. Every new chapter in your life brings changes and I was determined for this change to be a positive one. The main thing I wanted to do differently was be more outgoing and make new friends. I left high school with only two friends, and I always regretted I didn’t make more of an effort to make more friends. I saw college as a start of a new chapter and an opportunity to put myself out there, but COVID had a different idea.

My freshman year in 2020, I moved into Columbia Hall and was trying my hardest to make connections with the other girls in my hall or people I had met through the Facebook page. All of this was going well until our in-person classes had to be moved online because the COVID cases in our area got too high. Because the classes got moved online, Bloomsburg was offering refunds on our room and board, which meant most people moved back home. I tried to stick it out as long as I could. I stayed for about a month and wanted to stay longer, but once I realized lots of people were leaving, I also went home. This really put a damper on my plans to reinvent myself and try better to make friends in college.

Although this sort of derailed my plans, I didn’t let it stop me from accomplishing my goal. I spent my sophomore year really trying to continue any relationships I formed in that short time I was on campus my freshman year and trying to form new friendships. I decided to move back to Bloom and get an apartment with my boyfriend Dylan. I didn’t have anyone I could get a dorm room with plus I thought it would be fun to live with my boyfriend. Moving back to Bloom after being home for most of my freshman year was kind of like I was moving to Bloom for the first time again. This was in a way my freshman year because I hadn’t fully experienced what it was like to be at college. Through this whole experience I really taught myself perseverance and to trust the process. Although the beginning of my college journey didn’t go the way I planned it still all ended up working out the way it was meant to.

In the past, I would have let these challenges stop me from trying again. This is why I struggled so much with building friendships in high school. I also felt since you go to school with the same people since elementary school, most friendships were already established. I found it hard for me to put myself out there because of my fear of rejection. If I had faced one issue or one roadblock, I would have completely jumped ship. 

But this experience was so important to me, and I really didn’t want to look back on college and think I should have done things differently. I forced myself to face my fears because I knew it would benefit me in the long run. I have seen myself mature and learn so many useful lessons through my four years. I understand the importance of good loyal friends who are always in your corner. If it weren't for my friends and my boyfriend I wouldn’t have been as successful through college as I was.

I also learned the importance of trusting your instincts. Not just in school, but also in life. Since I took a risk of putting myself out there and being vulnerable with strangers and it actually worked, it showed me I need to believe in myself. I would have never found my best friend Morgan if it weren’t for me going into college with this mindset. The college journey truly prepares you for your transition to adulthood. I felt like I was so underprepared when I entered college, but now I am a much more mature and prepared person who’s ready to enter the workforce. With that comes many decisions. I feel so confident in the degree I will be graduating with, the friends I have gained along the way, and the experiences I have. I will be graduating in May with a degree in communication studies, a focus in organizational communication, and a minor in psychology. 

The professors in the communication department are truly the best. They know their stuff and they are so encouraging and will help their students success in any way possible. I know because of them I truly am prepared to graduate. With all these tools I’m trusting I will be able to have a successful career. Although my path from here on out might be a little unknown I now have the skills to handle that better. 

If I face a bump in the road, I'm better equipped to handle it and trust everything happens for a reason. The support system I've built through this crazy journey will carry me through any hardships I might face. For now, I must embrace the scarries and see what the world has to offer me post-grad.

— Monica Wilt, a senior communication studies major at Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg with an emphasis on organizational communication, is interning with the Office of Marketing and Communications this spring. She is a native of New Cumberland, who loves Taylor Swift, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the show Survivor.

#BloomOnward #HuskyLife

Trust yourself and embrace your intuition

Having a high school sweetheart is a controversial topic. Some people think it’s so sweet that we’ve been together so long while others think we’re crazy for getting together at such a young age. Everyone seems to have an opinion on whether you will stay together or break up. I get unsolicited relationship advice from almost anyone I talk to. 

So, you could imagine the type of responses I would get when I would tell people we were going to the same college. And then when I would say we were planning on living together. I had not only close friends and family tell me it was a bad idea, but teachers in my school would tell me we would never last. I’m not sure what it is about having a serious relationship in high school that freaks people out so much. Maybe it’s different for me because my grandparents are high school sweethearts and are still married today.

Dylan and I started dating in 2017 which was our freshman year of high school. Starting our relationship at such a young age allowed us to grow together as a couple. I think this was a big reason we felt confident enough to go to the same college together.

Even with all the negative comments Dylan and I still saw no problem with us coming to Bloomsburg together, and I am so glad we made that decision. From the day I moved in freshman year to the day I graduate, he will always be there for me. It always comforted me to know I had at least one person in Bloom I could go to. Especially when I struggled to find really close friends in the beginning.

Once Dylan and I started dating in high school I would myself become more comfortable being with just him which caused me to not find new friends. By the time we graduated high school, I realized that I only had Dylan plus one or two friends. When I went to college, I was determined to not let this be the case again. Although I still loved spending time with Dylan, I had to be sure I tried to meet new friends.

When we returned for our sophomore year neither one of us knew who to room with. We figured we could do random housing if we lived on campus, but that was nerve-racking. Finally, we had the idea we could get an off-campus apartment together. It was definitely a risky decision that everyone also had an opinion on, but we felt confident. So many people would say “What happens if you break up”, but why would I plan on us breaking up? It just seemed silly to me to not do what I wanted because we may or may not break up.

I feel like this decision really shaped my college experience. Not only did it bring us closer together, but it helped us form a very tight-knit friend group. My friends became his friends and vice versa. We all became one big friend group instead of two divided. Embrace the opportunity to make new connections whether that be from your significant other’s friends or open to introducing two different friend groups. It is something I will struggle with not having after I graduate. When we leave Bloomsburg, we already know we will have to live with our parents for a little while to save up money. Who knows how soon out of college we will get a job or if we will be making enough to get an apartment together. We want to wait to move out till when we feel financially comfortable enough to. It is going to be so hard not being together as much. But I still have a few more months of us living in the same apartment and having the same schedule.

I’m going to make sure I prioritize spending time with him and our friends. We have the best time making dinner together whether that be with my best friend Morgan or by ourselves. We love having movie nights, game nights, going on road trips to Sixers games, and just doing the small things together like grocery shopping or getting lunch at Chick-fil-A. But the one thing I will truly miss the most after college is the amount of free time we have to spend together. When we have a 9-5, we might be able to make dinner together or do things on the weekend, but it won’t be the same as the college schedule. Now we only have to be in class for about 3 hours every day then we can do whatever we want. It just makes me want to savor all the time we have now and not take anything for granted. Especially soaking in our trip to Jamaica for spring break. This will be our first big trip together as a couple so I am excited to see the way it will strengthen our relationship.

I love Dylan so much and I am forever grateful I didn’t listen to everyone’s negative comments in high school. Going to college together was the best decision we could have made. When I think back on Bloomsburg or my college experience the first thing I will remember is how he was there for me every step of the way.

The biggest lesson I have learned through this is to trust myself. I chose to embrace my intuition when it came to deciding if Dylan and I would go to the same school together or live together in college. Seeing that these decisions actually worked out and made my college experience better proved to me that I can make good decisions and that I can trust myself. I knew going to the same school and living together was the best choice for us, but everyone I talked to had me questioning my own feelings. Learning to trust myself and stop second-guessing my intuition is the best takeaway I could have gotten from college.

— Monica Wilt, a senior communication studies major at Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg with an emphasis on organizational communication, is interning with the Office of Marketing and Communications this spring. She is a native of New Cumberland, who loves Taylor Swift, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the show Survivor.

#BloomOnward #HuskyLife

Not according to plan but that's okay

 

It’s the first week of my senior year, and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Which, is great for me because I am a planner. Things are looking up but that was not always the case. It’s certainly not how I planned it.

Nothing ever felt right. Not even when I was so accomplished in high school, graduating with honors. Nothing was ever enough. I’ve always battled with perfectionism. I’ve always wanted to be so successful after college. To make my parents proud of me. It was almost a competition I created for myself with my twin brother, Brandon. I had to be better. With sports, grades, helping around the house… the list goes on.

I was not enjoying life as I should be. I put off hanging out with friends on the weekends to just do 5% better on an exam the next day. I was the student who prioritized academics over anything else. Even myself. I lost myself in the jumbled mess that was my life.

I would be so consumed with perfecting essays to the last comma, memorizing vocabulary until I could recite it, and spending hours studying alone in my bedroom, avoiding any social contact. Why, you ask? I couldn’t afford any distractions. At least, that’s what I told myself.

But now, as I embark on my final year of college, I have the great feeling things are finally starting to come together. And those distractions? That’s the fun to life. That’s what made me grow.

Go hang out with those friends until midnight and laugh so hard you cry. Go to that movie you’ve been dying to see since the previews came out. Go take that road trip to Crumbl Cookies 30 minutes away on a school night. Go join that social club even if you’re scared of meeting new people. Go visit your sibling two hours away at college just because.

Go, go, go!

These experiences can end up being the best experiences of your life. Cliché I know but, seriously. I found the bestest friends in these clubs like Cru and NCASC that will last a lifetime.

And that random college visit I took to see Brandon for a weekend? Instantaneously, without a doubt, it changed my life in the best way possible.

How could that be?

Well, I met the love of my life there. I’d marry him with paper rings if you know what I mean. I would’ve never gotten here if I said, “Oh, maybe later” or “Now’s not a good time.” Instead, I said, “Why not!” and drove up there the next day.

I wanted to be as transparent as possible when in public places to avoid any sort of attention or embarrassment. But, Ben, my boyfriend, wasn’t having that. He knew how I felt about it. So, what did he do? He meowed as loud as he could inside of Weis Markets, Target, or Wal-Mart. As crazy as this sounds, it did indeed help me feel more comfortable in public settings.

I started becoming more comfortable giving speeches. And that’s coming from someone who has an apprehension about public speaking. On my 21st birthday, I wore a birthday sash out to dinner. My parents were baffled and surprised. But, hey, I got a free dessert out of it. Candles and everything.

This special boy helped to bring me out of my shell that once protected me. Now, I have a big strong boy for that. Just kidding. I can do it myself, at least I think I can. 

You see, that's the continuous cycle that is my life. I think I can do it all by myself but, there are actually limits to what we can do.

Insane, right?

Right. Because, first of all, I would not be in the spot that I am in right now without the great amount of support I have received from my aunt, brother, boyfriend, and my parents.

It was not me accomplishing everything all on my own without any help. It was leaning on people when I needed a good cry. It was not the hours I spent alone in my room studying. It was pushing myself outside of my comfort zone.

It was discovering myself and finding happiness in it.

Success to me is not being at the top of your class or the president of your club. It's finding true contentment and balance in life. Not everything follows your carefully crafted plan but that's how you grow. I grew. That’s how I know. In fact, I’m still growing. I have another year ahead of me!

— Kathryn Henriksen, a senior communication studies major at Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg with an emphasis on organizational communication, is interning with the Office of Marketing and Communications this fall. She is a native of Pottstown who loves Andy Grammer, Nutella, and all 10 seasons of Friends.

#BloomOnward #HuskyLife