You Are Doing Amazing: A Letter to my Freshman Self

Dear Freshman Me,

You are doing amazing. Starting your college career is an overwhelming period filled with so many changes, but you have made it this far with your sheer passion and determination. You are capable of whatever you set your mind to.

College is a period of change. I know you have a fifteen-year plan mapping out your college and medical career, but life happens. You may think you have it all figured out, but you don’t. You will realize that life happens for the better, and the changes will ultimately make you stronger, better, and happier. You will change your major, become the President of a club you almost didn’t join, find a passion for lifting weights, and work towards female empowerment, all things you could not have imagined before you started. You will join a sorority, something you never expected to do, and meet your best friends in the world.

Say yes to more things; be more spontaneous; don’t live your entire college career in the library. On the other hand, work hard and chase your dreams. Don’t be afraid to stop and smell the flowers and take it all in for a minute; the time will fly by before you know it.

You have not lost sight of your passion for using your voice to share your stories and listen to hear the stories of others. This desire to hear others and speak out will ultimately make you a more empathetic physician, and a better friend and family member. Embrace this side of your personality.

The next four years of your life will change you forever in the greatest way possible. Listen to your heart, and you will be great. Keep on keeping on, and never lose your fiery passion for everything you do.  

Love,

Your Older and Wiser Self