Welcome, all!
My name is Danielle and I am a broke, but free, undergraduate graduate!
It has taken me five hard years to complete my undergraduate degree (Bachelor of Arts in Health Science, minor in psychology). And right now, this freedom I have to make any decisions after graduation is both terrifying and wonderful. It gives me a different sense of independence, practicing autonomy in a way that isn’t as premeditated as the first 23 years of my life that I have spent in school. Now, the journey I am taking as I approach applying for graduate school seems like the most non-conventional journey ever – at least compared to the plans I had for myself as a senior in high school back in 2013 (wow, I really feel old…).
One thing that college doesn’t teach you is how to embrace the change that happens after you graduate. In the few months approaching graduation day, life seemed like an important race… classes, homework, projects, graduation caps and outfits, packing up and moving house, etc. all needed to be completed in a timely manner. You enjoy what you can as you complete your tasks on the way. And then you do the thing and graduate. And it feels like you have raced to the top of a cliff to watch a sunset, but then the clouds are in the way and you can’t see the sun. Anti-climactic, right? You say goodbye to all of your professors and some of your closest friends. And then you wake up the next day and realize that there isn’t school to look forward to in the upcoming fall; your friends have all gone their separate ways; and you are left trying to process what in the world just happened since day 1 of freshman year?!
There has been tremendous change in the post-graduated life. And I wasn’t ready for it when it slapped me in the face and said, “you are an adult now, go do adult things.” And I’m over here saying, “what the hell does being an adult mean…. because all I know is that I still kind of want to walk into my old Anatomy and Physiology lab and learn, and eat Atilano’s burritos and pumpkin waffles with my friends when it’s late and our brains are mush, and go to track practice with the rest of the now-washed-up-retired athletes like myself.”
Things you hear as a senior in college: “you’re going to do great things in life!” “I am so excited for the next part of your journey.” “you’ve done a great job, you are ready for the real world.” “the year will go fast, enjoy it while you can!” “you’ve grown up so much, what an exciting time to look forward to after graduation!”
Things you don’t hear (but you really should) as a senior in college: “if you take a gap year or two after you graduate, that is okay!” “you should still go and eat Atilano’s burritos and pumpkin waffles with your friends.” “when your friends move away, it is okay to be really sad.” “if your first full time job is not related to your degree, that is fine, it is common!” “does pursuing what you wanted to pursue five years ago still make you happy?” “I’m forty years old and I still haven’t grown up.”
Anyways. Here’s the real scoop on what I am up to since graduating.
I am currently working as a full time physical therapy aide, taking a “gap” year (or two) to build my resume, and use this space outside of the classroom to really know what my vocation is going to look like. As intriguing as it would be to have entered a graduate program (DPT, doctorate of physical therapy) right after college, life has its way of redirecting the course I had for myself. I still know that physical therapy (PT) is what I want to pursue; but how I get there is going to be the exciting thing to explore as I create my own path to earning my DPT. It might not be the easiest, it might not be the fastest, but it will be my journey to share with you and my future clients.
Do I know what kind of PT environment I want to work in yet? No.
Do I know what values I want to instill in my vocation no matter what? Yes.
This is what I know for sure: I want to empower you. I want to empower you to empower others. When you think of health care providers, you assume that they are going to do what they need to “fix you.” To give you the correct treatment, rehabilitation, medication, referral, etc. These are all important! However, I think what is also important is for patients to also be empowered mentally, emotionally, and physically. I want to be able to empower others to be confident in what they do, and how they do it, whether that is as a DPT or not. So. For the time being, there’s no time like the present to practice these convictions I have, and thus I write, I reflect, and I work hard at completing my current responsibilities.
What I have realized is that now, months later (and many school loans later), those clouds are starting to part and I am seeing the sunset that I have raced to the top of the cliff to look at. I am reaping the reward, but it has just taken awhile to see it. And I am sure that reward will keep on coming as I continue pursuing my vocational goals. I think this is because I have realized just how valuable my experiences up to graduating have been. The friendships I have made in college have continued to fill me up, even if the interactions with these friends are far and few between. The work, dedication, and lessons I have learned in the race up to graduation have equipped me to deal with reality and a job outside of being a student athlete. And I am excited and proud of all that was accomplished in college and look forward to what is to come in the future.
Did it take me forever to create this first blog post to share? Oh, you bet. Will I unpack more of what I have mentioned later on? Of course. But for now, I will leave you with this small update on my life. And a small introduction for what I hope this can be for us all.
xo
Just show up. Be Brave. Be Kind. Rest. Try again. — Glennon Doyle
love like you should 