Laura Stegner

Looking back over the past 12 months, I can hardly believe how far I have come. It feels so long ago that I was finishing up my second co-op rotation at Sandvik Hyperion. Since then, I had an engaging fall semester of classes, connected with some awesome freshman as a CEAS peer leader, and formed a new student group that led to a trip to China over winter break. Then I traveled back to Columbus for a co-op at American Electric Power where I took up kettlebell training for the first time. Now I am back on campus, settling down into the summer term of classes. Even in the past few weeks, I continue to feel myself accelerate forward into a future that is coming more and more in focus. 
 

My life view took a quite literal change in November, when I took a trip to the eye doctor and figured out that I actually cannot see well. A few days later, I got my very first pair of glasses. When I first put them on, I felt a little bit overwhelmed by everything that I could see that I had never seen before. I walked outside at night, and for the first time I could actually see distinct lights instead of just little starbursts of light. I also was in for a slight surprise when I noticed how many scratches and imperfections were on the road signs; before, they just looked like solid signs. It was basically like someone swapped out my current screen for a 4K display. Life was in a whole new focus. It really nailed home the point of perspective. I never knew I was supposed to see more than I was able to, but now that I have been wearing glasses for a few months, I feel so il-equipped to drive and untrusting of my distance vision if I am not wearing my glasses.

This past year, I spent a great deal of time considering who I am and who I want to become, both professionally and personally. Particularly during the fall semester, I reached out to a few professors whom I respect greatly. They have become strong mentors to me. I am able to seek advice and opinions on important topics such as graduate school, life after college, and balancing personal life with academics/professional life. Having these strong role models to look up to has had a strong impact on me as I progressed through the year. It is thanks to them that I decided to join the ACCEND program and get my feet wet in research with my next co-op.
 
At the time I am writing this, I have had a cat for exactly 5 hours 31 minutes, but I already classify getting a cat as one of the most impactful experiences I have had this year. I have dreamed of having a cat my entire life, and I think I like cats more than I like most people. But committing to caring for a cat never felt right until a few days ago. I was always traveling or too focused on schoolwork to be a good cat mom. Then I came to the realization that I essentially spent more time wishing that I had a cat than it would actually take to care for one. I toyed with the idea for a few weeks before finally committing, but what finally swayed me was looking at a pile of boxes and packing paper from some new dishes I ordered on Amazon thinking to myself, “This would be so perfect for a cat.” From there, the hunt was on. I discussed logistics with my parents and brother. Then all that was left to do was find a cat. It can be a lot harder to find a cat than one might imagine. I was actually denied by several rescue groups simply due to the fact that I had never had a cat before. On the one hand, I understand not wanting a cat to go to an inexperienced person, but on the other hand, my heart was yearning for a cat to love and cherish. Then I saw Gwen’s picture. From that moment, I knew she was the one. After a short visit with her at the rescue agency, it was a done deal. Gwen was coming home with me. Transitioning a rescue cat into a new home can be a challenge. I have had to muster all of my patience to allow her to transition from her hiding place (the litter box) out into the rest of the apartment at her own pace. She has so much love and curiosity in her eyes, even while she is hiding away from the world, and I cannot wait for the weeks ahead as we continue to develop a strong bond.
 
Last year, I told myself to continue to network with peers and utilize study groups to help myself succeed as the coursework grows more and more advanced. I am proud to say that I followed through with this plan in the fall, and I am continuing to do so in the summer as well. Even though my classes do not start until 10:30 this term, I go to school every morning at 8:00 am to study and work on homework assignments with one of my classmates. I do not really consider myself a morning person, but it feels so great to start the morning off being so productive working with her that I easily feel motivated to get out of bed each day. I think we support each other, and I highly value our relationship.
 
As an offering of advice to myself for the upcoming year, I want to make sure that I spend time reflecting on what I am doing to make sure that it is exactly what I want. It can be easy to let the idealities and goals of other people impact our own journeys, but it is absolutely critical to make sure that you are driving your own future. That way, if you do not like where you are or what you are doing, you can pick your own direction and create your own adventure.
 
It is strange to think that by now, I am more than halfway done with my undergraduate degree. It is even stranger to look back at how far I have come since I started college and simultaneously realize how much farther I still have to go. It is stranger still to realize that I do not even know where I am going with my schooling or career. But as long as I continue to enjoy the journey, that will be just fine.