It’s hard to believe my time here as a Seahawk is coming to an end. After spending four and a half years of my life here it is crazy to think that I will be leaving. After my freshman year here I almost left UNCW to go back home and be closer to my family. My freshman year was hard; I was extremely homesick and not fitting in as well as I had hoped. My grades really weren’t that great and I felt like I had gone to college just to let my parents down in the end.
During high school I had a lot of really close friends I grew up with. They knew me better than anyone. Coming to college and starting all over with only a couple people from my high school was a really difficult transition for me. I felt like I had to explain my past to new people in order for them to understand me.
Luckily, my best friends, roommates, and family convinced me to stay at UNCW at least for another semester. I ended up making the best friends I’ve ever had here. They understand me better than my high school friends do. UNCW has helped me grow into the person I have aspired to be.
As I approach graduation I reflect back on my time here and I am grateful for the lessons I have learned. The biggest question I face is, “what next?” although I may not know for sure yet, I am confident I will find the right job in time. I feel society’s expectations are for us to get a job and start a career right out of college. I have to say, I don’t like it. I am only 23 years old. I see so much more to life than graduating college and immediately start working an 8-5 job Monday-Friday with limited vacation time because I’m new to the company.
My dream is to travel the world and experience as much of it as I possibly can before settling down into my career and family. If I could find a job that would allow me to travel everywhere I want and experience all I want then that would be amazing. For now, my future is play it day by day and introduce myself to as much of the world as I possibly can. My advice to those still in college, enjoy it. Don’t stress yourself out about getting a job right away. You have plenty of time to figure out what you want to do with your life. The MOST important thing is making sure you’re happy.
-Kirsten Pascale
IMC Hawks Blog 