Purpose

Update: I have been in the process of filling out paperwork in order to complete the hiring process the University YMCA requires. Among those requirements is a background check, which is expected to the some time. I have been corresponding with Kylie Peterson, Senior Program Coordinator, and Patti Neiman, Director of Educational Efficacy and Leadership. They are doing the best they can to make this process as efficient as possible. I am kind of bummed that the process leading up to being hired and starting work at the University YMCA has taken so long. I would have liked to begin my experience working there some time ago to add more real life content to my blog posts thus far. On a more positive note, I have learned some things in the process of touring the facility, talking with senior mentors and Kylie Peterson about their experiences, and learning about the work the University YMCA does with the children. Even though my involvemnet has been minimal at the University YMCA thus far, my experience there has been beneficial for me with my involvement in the community. I am very excited to begin hands on work at the University YMCA.

This week we had our final reflection assignment post due for CLA PES first year experience. There were many different prompts to choose from for this assignment. I chose the option that required a list of how I would like to spend my time in college and what matters to me. Then, I was asked to write up a list about how I actually spend my time in college. After completing the lists I compared the two and wrote a reflection. I thought this assignment was really interesting, I am not given the opportunity to complete a self reflection based on my actions and goals in college. This assignment didn’t present any new information to me, but it was a powerful reminder of how I need to keep my focus on my goals in life. It also made me think about the changes I need to make in my everyday life to reach those goals.

One big change I realized I needed to make was to step out of my comfort zone and make new friends, try new actives, get involved, help the community. After I realized that these were the changes I needed to make I recognized the how beneficial this Y mentors program will be at the University YMCA. I will be fulfilling all of the changes I have suggested for myself to improve my experience in college and to work towards my goal. I believe that even after this semester ends and I am finished working on this digital medium project and blog posts, my experiences at the University impact on my life. I believe that this opportunity will add purpose to my life. And I now know that I all my life I have been working to achieve a certain purpose in life, it is just a matter of finding what that purpose is and what it will mean to me.