Embracing change

Kaitlyn Marks
Class of 2021

(9/2018) Coming to the realization that my path has shifted has been one of the most trying and challenging periods in my life. I have recently made the decision to transfer from Mount St. Mary’s University, and although there are many reasons for this choice, perhaps the clearest reason is that I cannot grow as much as I need to at the Mount. After tumultuous issues with scheduling, difficulties with administration, and a host of other factors, I was left confused, upset, and most of all, fearful. What could my future hold? Along with most of my friends, I like to have a plan. I like to know where I am going and how to get there. But sometimes, life throws curves at you. Sometimes, we grow into people who need new things, people and places. Sometimes, we figure out that to become who we are, to follow God’s plan for us, we must accept the whirling periods of change that shake up our lives but leave us better off in the long run.

I came into college thinking I would stay at the same place for four years before moving on to the next chapter. My freshman year was a good one. I absolutely have no regrets coming to this beautiful place and meeting such amazing people, especially the friends who were willing to go on midnight hikes with me, study until all hours of the night for tough exams, and be there for both celebrations and challenges. Throughout the course of my freshman year, I changed immensely. I grew to be much more confident in myself, and I embraced my passions particularly for writing. Writing for The Emmitsburg News-Journal was one of the highlights of my freshman year, and I will miss it beyond words.

At the Mount, I became much more outgoing and craved to be involved. While this is a good thing, it also made me crave things that aren’t offered at the Mount. In regards to my English classes, the professors at the Mount (both in the English department and in other departments across the University) are outstanding. They are kind, brilliant, and willing to work individually with you to help you achieve both in and out of the classroom. Academically, I am hoping to find more variety in the courses offered, and also to pursue English classes more focused on different aspects of writing.

As my freshman year came to a close, I knew one thing for sure: I wanted to become the best writer for myself. I want classes that will teach me how to fight for my dreams, and how to be successful in any path I end up on. This summer, I spent a week volunteering with the most amazing organization called PALS. This organization hosts week-long summer camps for young adults with Down Syndrome and their peers. Volunteering at PALS encouraged me to be bold in the pursuit of my dreams, to seek out spaces and places where I can be my authentic self and discover what I love about the world. This simultaneously introduced me to another world I might be interested in majoring in and exploring.

While I haven’t made the concrete decision yet for where I’ll be transferring, I am hoping to add a second major focused on human services, family studies, and nonprofit leadership. The opportunity to study and immerse myself in both of my passions is one that would be completely invaluable for my future. Aside from helping me with future career aspirations, this path will allow me to grow into the person I am meant to be.

During the decision process, there was the question of returning to the Mount for the fall or not. I’ll be honest. I was so stressed and fearful about the future. Knowing that I need to go somewhere else, but not being set in stone on a path yet is frightening. I have the most supportive family and friends, though, who believed in the choice I was making and encouraged me to open myself up to opportunities as they arise. Ultimately, since one of my classes was cancelled and my schedule could not really be fixed in a way that would benefit me or help me grow academically or personally, I made the choice to not return to the Mount this fall, and transfer for the spring semester. Thankfully this has opened up opportunities in its own way.

I was hired at a local bakery near my home that I really enjoy. I absolutely love working at the bakery and can’t imagine working anywhere else now that I’ve started. Being home for this semester will give me the chance to visit my internship from my senior year of high school, and more importantly visit those in that same internship who changed my life for the better. On a similar note, I will be able to become more involved with PALS as an organization and to stay connected with the campers I became close friends with. This time of change will provide me with an opportunity to focus on growing my own blog, one of my passions and something that constantly pushes me to learn and adapt, and discovering where I want to take it in the future. Growth is all around, and the choices I am making right now are all geared towards helping me embrace the present and solidify my future.

I want to say a quick thank you to the Emmitsburg News-Journal and its wonderful staff for welcoming me into this community and fostering so much growth in me and within my writing. I hope I can still be connected to this paper in the future—it's really a special organization, town, and community. If any of my friends from the Mount read this, thank you for being who you are and helping me to find myself last year. I think for a while, I had lost the spark of joy that makes me who I am, and as soon as I started to be myself on the Mount’s campus, I found it again. To my professors, thank you for being the most amazing. I learned so much from you and will be staying in touch! Here’s to new chapters, being patient, and accepting our paths and the changes that accompany them.

If you would like to keep reading my work and following my story, please visit my blog at www.thecuriouslemon.com

Read other articles by Kaitlyn Marks