Journeymen

Embrace the world of opportunity  

Seeing my name up on that wall was a great feeling. It felt like I had earned it—like I had worked hard for the opportunity to have my name displayed there. This week was full of incredible experiences and opportunities. But there was one lesson I valued most. It took me some time to fully understand and accept it as life continues to unfold. Perhaps this lesson will always hold a high place on my list of values: being open to everyone and keeping your friends close.

Throughout life, we make many friends and meet countless faces—some who become friends and others who do not. But regardless, always be kind and leave on good terms. In the past, whether in high school or my previous college experiences, I failed to follow this principle as much as I should have. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is to put yourself out there socially. Make sure you experience what you can, engage in activities that keep you busy, and take every opportunity to meet new people. I used to think I was an extrovert who enjoyed staying in my room. However, the more I’ve embraced new opportunities here at Utah State, the more I’ve realized that’s not the case at all.

The highlight of my week was meeting an astronaut. Here at Utah State, there is a program called the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. Through this program, a student is selected to receive a prestigious scholarship with numerous benefits. A friend from my flight in ROTC told me that an astronaut was speaking at the school, and I knew I had to be there. We had the incredible opportunity to meet Doug Hurley, an American astronaut who served on multiple space missions, including STS-135—the final space shuttle mission featuring the shuttle Atlantis. Hearing his story and learning about the future of spaceflight was an unforgettable experience.

Being at this school has already provided me with more meaningful experiences than most of the schools I’ve attended. That is largely because I’ve been pushing myself to pursue more than I am used to. Taking chances on things that might seem unfamiliar or ordinary is often the best course of action. We never truly know what we’ll gain until we try. Just today, I played football in the rain for two and a half hours. It was exhausting and painful, but it was also an absolute blast.