“The rain came pouring down when I was drownin’, that’s when I could finally breathe” - Clean, Taylor Swift. Clean - that’s precisely how the year 2024 (and hopefully each year hereafter) - has felt. Clean mind. Clean perspective. Clean slate. “The water filled my lungs, I screamed so loud but no one heard a thing.” To be perfectly transparent for the first time, college has been hard for me. In fact, no one in my life knows just how tough it’s actually been for me - academically and mentally. Entering college, I selected a major that was out of my wheelhouse. I’ve always had a “language-arts-driven-brain”, never a “math-driven-brain”. In high school, this was fine, because there I was still above average in all subjects and sort of a big fish in a little pond. But, in electing for a STEM heavy major, I was quickly surrounded by hundreds of people who were just as academically successful as me, if not more. This wasn’t something I was used to and, honestly, served as a shock to my confidence. No longer being the smartest in the room, I didn’t know how to react and began to see myself as a failure. My studies didn’t seem worthwhile anymore and I couldn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel. I was sure I would never be able to achieve any goals I had set out to reach in college. At last, in my final year of my undergraduate degree, I have gained the bird’s eye view that I needed all along. The sentiments I have collected in this time - that even the struggles can’t last forever and that better seasons of life do await - are tools that I will carry with me in my educational and life endeavors alike. In my time of hopelessness, it seems that I fought off forming friendships and only added to my miserable experience, forcing myself to live on an island alone for my immediate years of college. I told myself it was fine because I had friendships and community at home - but really, it couldn’t have been further from fine. With a new appreciation for friendship, I have now joined clubs on campus filled with like-minded individuals who I am intentional about connecting with frequently. I’ve worked through all of the classes that caused me hardships and can now focus on classes that make me excited for my future. I have weathered the storm. Yeah, I think I am finally clean.

‘I do play games. I sing, and I dangle things in front of my cats.’ - Angela Martin. In the near twenty years it has been on our screens, “The Office” has more than solidified its position as a timeless classic. I just know that it will be one of those sitcoms we tell our children and grandchildren about in hopes of passing the enjoyment on to them. There’s just something incredibly special about it. Maybe it’s the ingenious, unique idea of filming it documentary style. Or, maybe it’s the fact that so many characters - namely Angela, Phyllis, Oscar, and Creed maintained their given names on the show. Perhaps, though, the magic is in the fact that characters like Ryan, Kelly, and Toby played such a key role in the creation of the show when it came to the tasks of writing and directing. It was a passion project for them for a show that they believed in and loved - and it was evident in the final product. Though my love for all of the characters on the show runs deep, my worn Angela Martin Halloween costume proves that there is one I resonate with even more than the rest. There is no denying that Angela considered her pets her family. She kept cameras on them so she could check on their wellbeing while at work, and she intimately shared details about them with coworkers as through they were her children. While this approach is untraditional to be sure, I strive to be known as a caring pet owner to the degree that Angela was. I, like Angela, find myself to be in the most desirable company when surrounded by four-legged fuzzy friends. My ideas of “fun” might be far from conventional in the perspective of my friends and peers, but when watching “The Office”, I can feel fully seen and know that it’s perfectly okay to get joy from simple, wholesome things like playing with your pets. On the subject of simple things, I am brought to my next point. “The Office” is not set in a bustling city or glamorous estate. Instead, it is set in Scranton, Pennsylvania with personalities reminiscent of our own neighbors, or even ourselves. They go to Chili’s in their spare time and greatly enjoy a simple pretzel as a treat. But, above all, they find community within their workplace. They display how important and special it can be to simply be surrounded by people you look forward to greeting at work in the mornings. They show us that although we may often forget it or take it for granted, human connection is the greatest gift we can long to possess. Whenever it was time to ultimately depart from one another, goodbyes were certain to be filled with tears and sometimes even heartfelt written songs. So, even though none of them became millionaires while working their office jobs, in the end they were rich in something greater - love. This simple treasure is what I am able to take away from the show regarding workplace dynamics. Riddled with stories of unsuspecting friendships, successful love, and discovering who you are, the impacts of “The Office” stretch far beyond that of a mere office building. “The Office” serves as a reminder to all of us to slow down and romanticize the intricate aspects of our daily lives. Because ultimately, the small things make up the bigger picture. Lastly, never forget - if you pray enough, you can change yourself into a cat person!

Senior year of college: the year that adult-life begins to appear as more of a reality than you’re comfortable with. Suddenly, my focus is no longer primarily set on my coursework, my major, or even getting into graduate school. The real dark cloud looming in my mind is the ceaseless thought of “How am I going to pay for graduate school?” Not only this, but how am I going to afford to merely live while in graduate school? With living costs at astronomical rates while minimum wage salaries are seemingly unchanged, it’s difficult to remove financial anxieties from my mind when education fees alone seem never-ending. My goal at the end of my educational journey is to be a competent physical therapist who is able to care for the inhabitants of her rural Appalachian corner of the world. The people who have been of the most support to my longings are the members of my church. They reassure me that my dreams are worthwhile and in reach. The kindness they display to me and to the rest of the world has led me to being engulfed in giving back as well. Since joining my church, I’ve taken up the role of Youth Leader with all of the joy it seems one could possibly contain within themselves. Being met with an opportunity to “teach” children while they, in actuality, teach you even more about the appreciation of simple pleasures, being free, the waste of holding grudges, and even more is truly the most perspective-shifting experience I believe one could have. Alongside the said children that I’ve been able to learn and grow with, I’ve worked with the Helping Hands organization to prepare and distribute food boxes to members of the community finding themselves in need. Seeing that children can foster so much care and hard work for the sake of others encourages me to reach inside myself for those same attributes. Lastly in relation to the church, I’ve partnered with a pregnancy care center in my area in support of their annual “Baby Bottle Drive”, spending the past two years lending my hand by delivering bottles to all local churches and then spearheading an expansion to unreached areas for further impact. Seeing the passion for life and for supporting frightened mothers unable to adequately provide for themselves and their baby has changed me for all of my life all for the better. These experiences and more have led me to place a high value not on money, but on meaningful interactions that surpass a price tag.