Hometown:
Boxborough, MA
As someone who did not settle on a major until their junior year, I know what it’s like to wonder if you will ever belong at BYU. It wasn’t until I decided to explore a different major than the one I had originally declared that I realized you can really feel at home here. I am still exploring career options, but my exploration journey thus far has taught me three things: you will find your path, it will not look like anyone else’s, and that is a good thing.
Exploration Experience: By the time I was in second grade, I knew what I wanted to do when I grew up: go to BYU, serve as a volunteer missionary for my church, and be a mom. Unfortunately, second-grade me did not think about picking out a career or a major, so when I came to BYU as a freshman, I had at most a vague idea of what I wanted to do—something related to helping people. This vague idea persisted until I was a service missionary in Boston and felt directed to major in psychology. At first, I loved my major—I had finally found my space at BYU. However, over time I realized my interests were not in psychological research, and most of my psychology classes were centered on research. Once again, I was without direction. I thought psychology was my permanent major, so what was I supposed to do now?
I decided to take a class from the School of Family Life just to see if that would be a better fit for me. The first time I walked into the classroom, I was surprised that everything felt familiar: the students, the content, and the environment. It felt like my personality was displayed in a major. That was the beginning of finding my home in the Family Life: Family Studies major. I am grateful for my time spent studying psychology because it created the foundation for my passion in family studies and I completed a minor in psychology. Now, I am close to graduation, and I am still on my exploration journey as I am preparing to enter the workforce. I have an idea of what I want to do, and I am exploring how to make that a reality. I love to empower those around me, specifically those who may not feel they fit the BYU “mold” because I felt that way for a long time. I would love to help you discover how you can uniquely bless BYU and the world!
Why is Exploring Important to Me? I think exploration is part of our purpose on this Earth, and is a critical part of our development, both mentally and spiritually. Although we never stop learning and growing, college is the best time to explore how to make your dreams into reality. My life has turned out so differently than I imagined, and I am so grateful for that. Exploring different options has helped me grow as a person and develop the empowering belief that I can do anything I put my mind to.
Looking Back: I wish I had known about all the resources centered on nurturing students at BYU. For a long time, I thought I had to prove I deserved to be at BYU. I wish my younger self understood that because I got into BYU, I was already good enough for this university. Now, their job is to help me thrive here.
I also wish I had believed I did not need to compare my path to others’ paths and feel like mine was lacking. If I had believed that comparison is the thief of joy, I would have been kinder to myself during the periods when I had no idea what I wanted to do in college or in a future career. I have so much to contribute; it just took me a while to believe that.
Favorites:
- Book: The Blue Castle
- Movie: Arrival, Interstellar, and Pride and Prejudice
- Food: Mexican and Italian
- Animal: Giraffe
- Color: Yellow and green
Does Pineapple Belong on Pizza? Love it. My favorite pizza toppings are ham and pineapple.
Boring Fact About Me: During the past three summers, I have been a tour guide at Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House, where Little Women was written. I’m probably one of the foremost experts on all things Little Women at BYU.
Hobbies: I love to cook, sew, learn new fun facts, paint custom scriptures, laugh, serve in the temple, and hang out with my friends, family, and any animals I can find even though I’m allergic to most of them.