This as we all know, has not been the senior year that class of 2020 thought it would be. As college seniors the countless hours of homework, thousands of dollars spent to attend a school, and the activities we participate in were starting to come to a close. But, in March that all abruptly ended as we transitioned to online classes and began social distancing due to COVID-19. Senior banquettes were canceled, sorority alumni events were canceled, and eventually graduation was postponed. We finished all of our classes online and had commencement ceremonies over Zoom and Webex. But looking back the time I did spend at school was the best year yet. Senior year may have been cut short but I still managed to pack this year full of excitement, learning, and growth.
What I did:
Senior year was my year to apply to graduate school and finish my last requirements before graduation. While applying for graduate school to be a Speech Language Therapist, I decided I wanted to stay at a University and changed what I was pursuing as a masters. Now I will be going into Higher Education Administration because of the passion I have developed for the atmosphere and students at universities. But, besides that, my year was full of different activities. Including my final year in my sorority Alpha Sigma Tau which I was able to get a second little Carlie. I finished my time in Circle K International as the Service Facilitator/ Coordinator which was a joy. In Greek Life, I also had the opportunity to be a Gamma Chi and help new panhellenic women find their homes. As for LAS I was able to add to my family and get two mentees Kat and Kara who are the most amazing individuals. Additionally, I chaired my last Competition Day and was able to see how much progress we had made on the event in the last three years. As a student assistant I worked three more commencements and constantly followed Dr. Davies to make sure he was where he needed to be. At the university level I was also able to be on a committee for Awards, Scholarships, and Honors. Being on this committee gave me a glimpse into my future career path. Finally, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Los Angeles California for the EduMAX and Adobe MAX conferences which was definitely the highlight of my year. This year was absolutely wonderful and I am so glad that I was able to have the time to do everything I did this year.
What I learned:
The biggest most important thing I learned from this year is to not take things for granted. Now this is mainly because I did not get to finish out the semester in person but also as a senior year thing about everything that will be ending and how important they may be to you. This year I really tried to appreciate everything about CMU and my involvements because I knew they were coming to an end and I am so thankful I did.
What is next:
Thank you to everyone who has helped me through the last four years at Central. I am so excited to start my Masters program now and dive into the field of Higher Education! At CMU I will be a Graduate Assistant in the Volunteer Center for Mentoring Programs. In this position I will be working with programs like Lunch Buddies and Adopt a Grandparent. Until then I will be enjoying the summer and dreaming of a vaccine for COVID-19
Fire Up Chips!
Abbey Claes 