Before I delve into the joy surrounding graduation, let me get one thing straight…
THIS WAS A HARD YEAR.
You know this. I know this. But it’s exactly why I’m proud of myself for getting here. The path to success seemed so simple two years ago: go to college, get the degree, get the job. *Cue pandemic*
Everything changed when that spring break in 2020 became a year and a half of online learning. Suddenly everything was uncertain, and every action was riddled with fear. The world went remote, and the isolation crept in. For those of you who follow my Instagram, @curiouslylem, you know that I’ve been taking this pandemic very seriously. Living with someone immunocompromised made this experience all the more terrifying. So, I did what I had to do and became a total shut-in. Suddenly there was no campus life, no in-person meetings, and my plans had been completely uprooted. To make it worse, I had developed vision issues that made it difficult to drive. Eventually, I stopped driving altogether.
Is this depressing? Yes. Was it hard? Yes. But this is where my rags to riches story began.
Now, I literally see the world in a whole new way. There’s visual noise everywhere, and I have yet to be diagnosed for the issues I’ve faced. So how do you combat a mystery illness, uncertainty, and your commitments? For me, it was a lot of reflection. Even with these issues, I am so thankful for who I have in my life, and I can keep moving on for them. And for my dogs…Yup, total dog mom here.
I got a puppy named Levi during the pandemic, and he gave me a purpose. He helped me find joy in the mundane, and he brings people as much joy as he does for me. He’s helped me practice my dog photography for my internship. I mean, look at him! He’s the perfect model.
To thrust me through the worst of the pandemic, I focused on my puppy and my internship at Ark Naturals. I worked on honing my craft as a photographer. I picked up an internship at Evolve & Co, where I discovered my love of graphic design and art direction. I began brand consulting for small businesses, even helping an apparel company for dogs and their people completely rebrand. I took on website design clients, video editing side jobs, and as many competitions, as I could get my hands on. I worked with a team to design an app, I worked as an art director to propose a campaign for demystifying crypto…all while I was battling an unknown illness and finishing up my classes. It was hard. But even with these issues, I knew that I had to keep going. The world wasn’t going to hand me an opportunity, I had to reach out and grab it for myself.
This post is a love letter to myself, to remind me that I am capable of what I set my mind to. Future me, if you’re reading this in a hard time—remember when you were sitting at your spring banquet in 2019, accepting a scholarship in photography? Remember when your professor announced the 2 inductees of Kappa Tau Alpha—an honor society for journalism and mass communication students graduating in the top 10% of their class? You set a goal then, to be one of those members. Even when life threw doctor appointments after appointments at you, even when your sole touchpoint with the rest of the world was your computer screen—you did that. You even have a shiny medal to prove it (in case it seems too good to be true!).
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May 8th at 6:30 pm, I will officially have graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in Integrated Advertising and Public Relations and a certificate in visualization and design at 20-years-old. It’s bittersweet, closing this chapter of my life, but this is what I’ve worked for since the day I stepped foot on campus. Without the support of my family, friends, professors, and advertising professionals who offered me their guidance—I wouldn’t be where I am today. As I try to traverse life with this chronic illness, I’ll always keep in mind the kindness everyone has shown me. Sure, it’ll be harder for me, but I’ve never been afraid of hard work.
The future seems bright. I’m excited to see what’s in store!