Hey there! I’m Jenna. I like to stay busy, which means that between fifteen hour days on my university campus and binge watching all of the Sons of Anarchy seasons, I occasionally find time for sleeping, showering, and homemade popcorn. Keeping a busy schedule can be overwhelming at times, but I always feel fulfilled after a day full of meaningful activities and classes I enjoy. Long days also help me fall asleep quickly and stay asleep all night which is a huge plus.
To Educate:
Hi! My name is Jenna. I am a senior at Bemidji State University. I am on track to graduate in May 2015 with degrees in both English and creative and professional writing. Like many of my peers, I’m not entirely sure what I’ll be doing after that long-awaited walk down the aisle. And that’s okay. My four years of college may not have solidified my 10 year plan, but they did everything that I think they were supposed to. I broadened my horizons, learned to think critically about my own ideas and the ideas of other. I’ve struggled through the hard parts of learning independence. I have moved closed to finding out where I “fit” in the scheme of things.
A university education, especially a liberal arts education, is less about coming out at the end with a specific skill set and more about leaving with a broadened sense of the world and narrowed down idea of how you might want to impact that world.
I may not be sure where I’m going, but I definitely know that I want to impact people for the better once I’m there.
I am not leaving with all of the knowledge and specific skills I’ll need for my first job, but I am leaving with a set of soft skills that will allow me to be understanding, flexible, and creative.
I know that the great knowledge I have about medieval literature probably won’t land me a job, but my studies of the literature will allow me to think critically about whatever task is put in front of me.
Wherever I go, and whatever I end up doing after I finally get to walk across that commencement stage, I know I’ll be pretty successful.
To Increase Awareness:
Hello, I’m Jenna. I am one of the student body co-presidents at Bemidji State University. My term as a co-president has allowed me the opportunity to serve as one of seven members of the board of directors at a non-profit called the Minnesota State University Student Association (MSUSA). MSUSA is a non-profit that advocates on behalf of all seven of the Minnesota State Universities (Bemidji State, MSU-Moorhead, MSU-Mankato, Winona State, St. Cloud State, Southwest Minnesota State, and Metropolitan State). MSUSA advocates for more affordable tuition, quality education, effective advising on campuses, and many other student concerns. For more information on our full platform, click here.
Having the opportunity to create change and give input on behalf of my 75,000+ peers in the state university system has been both challenging and rewarding. In my eight short months on the board of directors, my leadership skills have improved dramatically. I have learned the importance of having patience, especially when pressure to make a decision seems to be coming from all sides. I have discovered ways to deal with difficult situations and personalities. I have an the opportunity to really practice looking at an idea from all perspectives.
To Help:
Hi, I’m Jenna! I am currently finishing the last semester of my undergraduate education, which is simultaneously relieving and terrifying. After four years of classes, homework, building friendships, and learning life lessons that can only come from new found independence, I am not sure that I am prepared to enter the world of “grownups.” However, I feel pretty confident that I am not the only one feeling a little overwhelmed at the prospect of finding (and keeping) a job. A good friend once said to me “If you don’t know where you’re going, any path will take you there.” I hope that sharing my missteps and adventures on the way to adulthood can help you all along your journeys as well.
