Coming to a university as a freshman can be very intimidating, especially if you don’t know anyone and have to start building your way up from the bottom. I was always involved in high school and knew I couldn’t let get COVID get in the way of me making connections. I had found that Roosevelt was doing an involvement fair and as much as I wanted to stay in my dorm and watch Netflix, I knew inside that if I didn’t go to the fair I would be stuck in my dorm for the rest of the year. The involvement fair happens at the beginning of each school year with so many different tables with organizations at each one. I remember walking around and making small-talk with each and every table just so I could find one that stood out to me. There was an organization called SPEED that was looking for student volunteers to help out at free student-led events. I signed up on the paper and that’s when I really began my journey here.
I started attending SPEED weekly meetings to see what went on to fully organize events with planning, marketing, budgeting etc. During my first semester here I would help with setting up and taking pictures during the events. The following semester I applied for a position & was offered to join SPEED as the Social Media marketer and coordinator. I remember feeling so happy that I had finally made some new friends and having those familiar faces in a school so big yet so small made me feel at home. I started feeling more confident after my position as the social media marketer since I was always in contact with faculty/students at RU that I decided to look into more organizations that could help me further in my pre-med/science future. I was always on the lookout for flyers posted around school or any instagram posts from Roosevelt’s page about events or new clubs I hadn’t heard about. My professors were such a great help during this time by letting us know via email or during class about new opportunities. I started reaching out to organizations such as SSS STEM and SPA and asking how I could be a part of them. Looking back I am so grateful I took the step of just doing it. I was never a shy person and coming to Roosevelt made me more reserved since I didn’t know anyone. I never looked back and began going to events with other science students and tried talking to everyone so I could make those connections. It could be a simple “Hey I’m Aditi, are you majoring in x?” to get the conversation started. As I am coming to the end of my junior year, I have met all of my closest friends through class or the organizations I am a part of. It really just took the smallest push from myself to switch my mindset that got me out of my comfort zone. Change can be uncomfortable, especially when entering college as a freshman but having people you know that can help and support you is what makes the difference. But knowing you can trust and count on yourself is the biggest thing that helped me make connections and put myself out there!
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My journey to choose to be a part of the healthcare field has not been the most traditional. Being a first-generation college student, I did not have a lot of guidance on how to navigate college which is why I struggled as soon as I graduated high school.Born to two immigrant parents who have always pushed me to get an education which has always motivated me to work harder. I also come from a big family, understanding how much pressure there is on being a first-generation student.
My biggest aspiration is to not only finish my degree and get a job in the field. But to also make two of the most important women in my life proud. My mother who is my best friend and my Wonderwoman. As well as my grandmother who passed away in August of 2020. These two strong women have empowered me throughout my whole life. I wouldn't be the woman I am without them. Even though both my parents have work 2-3 jobs to put me in the position to attend university and have a great life. They have both made sure to do their best to help me even if English is not their first language. My father has always worked absurd hours to make sure my family has everything along with making his own personal sacrifices. My mother being she was a nurse in her home country, gave it up to bring my brother and me here for something better. I've heard her stories from when she enrolled to become a nurse, and how my grandmother supporter her just like she does with me. Those stories have always motivated me. Helping me realize I wanted to be in the medical field, helping people as well. As years went by. I've slowly stepped my foot into the world of medicine by getting to volunteer in hospitals to working in an ophthalmology office to being my grandparents' caregivers. This journey is never easy but I'm fortunate to be surrounded by a great support system and hope to be that support to someone else! |