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Just Chirpin’
One Lengthy
Intermission
By Brittany Ulman
Just a few days ago, the year came to a close. Wait…hold on a
second…what happened? Did I just say the year came to a
close? Well, I guess that calendar sitting under my laptop does
indeed say January 2016.
Has it been that long since I’ve written my last column?
Where in the world did this semester go? Or the summer? Or
the spring semester for that matter?
It literally feels like just yesterday I was taking my last final of
the spring semester and then moving out of my dorm. The last dorm
room that I will ever live in—a whole other surreal moment yet to fully
sink in.
Following that semester, there was nothing but a blur of a summer
filled with so many activities that nearly made my head spin on more
than one occasion.
First there was the summer class chocked full of numerous financial
equations, scenarios, and theories. I suddenly felt like I could
conquer the world with my newfound knowledge of 401ks and other
monetary jargon. But thankfully that only lasted five weeks.
Then there was my part-time job as a waitress at the always wonderful
Paula’s Diner. I most likely made a million milkshakes, Moody
tornadoes, sundaes, and ice cream cones; and I think I slightly lost
some of the feeling in my hands because of the extreme cold. But,
the owners are simply amazing people and the money I made will go
towards my mountainous student debt. And hey, that cannot be beat.
Plus on top of those two things, there was the two internships that
definitely taught me more than I ever could have asked for or
imagined. During my time in Wayne HealthCare’s Marketing
Department, an amazing and intriguing door was opened for me.
Until that time, I had not given much thought to entering the marketing
field upon graduation. Those in the university’s English
Department have always told me that a Creative Writing degree can lead
to a large variety of future careers, but I never fully believed
them. And even if I eventually decide to go down a different
path, the knowledge and experience I gained from the internship didn’t
just involve scholarly information.
Graduation can definitely be a very exciting time, but it can also be
one of the most stressful moments for any person. The idea that
your scholastic career is about to come to a close, and you are
suddenly thrown into the world known as adulthood can be overwhelming
at first—especially if your future seems uncertain in any way.
But, my time at Wayne HealthCare helped me get past that initial
terrifying feeling. It provided me with the chance to another
path I can take after graduation. Knowing that I have several
options when it comes to my future career definitely lifts a tremendous
weight off of my shoulders.
The same also applies to my internship at Main St. Greenville that I
had once a week. Not only did I gain equally valuable experience,
but I also got to be a part of such a tight-knit community. Up
until I started my internship, I had yet to attend any Greenville
affiliated events minus the Great Darke County Fair. However,
because of this wonderful opportunity, I witnessed a community that
loves to come together and spend time with one another. It is so
difficult to describe the loving and caring feeling this city has for
one another and especially the small business owners.
Looking back on those four things, it is easy to understand why this
summer came and went so quickly—almost without my knowledge. But
what about this semester? Why exactly did the past four months
flash by seemingly without my knowledge?
I mean, sure. I took five classes, but two of those were
online. There was the fact that this was my first semester living
off campus, so that does bring about a new schedule and environment,
but surely not enough to make this semester appear to be only a few
weeks.
Maybe some of it had to do with honing in on my graduation and getting
everything squared away for the upcoming year. As my last
semester approaches, I need to make absolutely certain that my academic
plan is exactly on track. Having to take specific classes for my
degree, I must work a little harder when it comes to planning my
schedule to ensure that I will take those classes. Throw in two
minors that have their own course requirements, planning a schedule can
be quite the juggling act.
I knew that I wanted to participate in another internship this upcoming
summer, but I wanted this one to count for course credit (unlike the
two I had this past summer). This required contacting numerous
individuals in the English Department, some of whom are involved in
several aspects of the department and are rather busy.
There was also the fact that I was trying to be part of one of Ball
State’s magazines for next semester. Luckily, I was able to get
into the class thanks to the professor whom I have had before.
She is heading the magazine this academic year, and she enjoyed having
me in class in the past. And as if it couldn’t get even better,
the class will count towards my Professional Writing minor—one that I
had seriously contemplated dropping earlier in the semester since its
classes are rather difficult to schedule. It is so amazing to see
how things like this work out in the long run. Through this
entire process, I learned that I just simply need to be patient because
there is a bigger plan in the works for me that I don’t know about.
So, in the end, it is relatively easy to understand how and why this
past year has gone so quickly. I guess college will do that to
time.
Nonetheless, these past twelve months have taught me an abundance of
knowledge applying to various aspects of my current and future
life. It is hard to fathom how much I have changed because of the
wonderful experiences I have endured the past two semesters.
And I couldn’t have done it without those closest to me. My
internships wouldn’t have been possible without Terri Flood and Amber
Garrett being so gracious to offer me the opportunities and patient
enough to teach me both about a profession and life in general.
Also, Paula and Dennis Moody provided me with a humorous work
environment that gave me with the chance to let loose and have fun
during my summer vacation.
But most importantly, I couldn’t have gotten through any of this, or
life in general, without my supportive family and friends. My
parents especially have also been my greatest encouragers and never
fail to put a smile on my face at the end of the day. They have
also instilled in me the grandest and purest gift of this world—a
loving relationship with God. A relationship that has definitely
become stronger this past year and is now a part of who I am. For
that, I am eternally grateful for absolutely everything and everyone in
my life.
I hope all of you reading this feel the same about your lives and those
who you share it with.
Have a safe and Happy New Year.
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