This is my first year being a part of the Marlin family. I was very nervous to embark on this adventure but from the first time I set foot on this campus I felt the love and admiration from everyone. The first few days as a freshman were stressful and it made me feel emotions I haven’t felt since before the pandemic started. This was my first time in over a year going to school with my peers and getting the one on one attention from my teachers. Even though I was overwhelmed, I always kept my head up high and kept on moving.
It’s now a few weeks in and I’m glad to say things are starting to shift into place. I’m not going to lie and say my mental health has not been affected by this transition, but the more I get into a routine and start to build relationships with my peers and professors the more I feel safe and secure. I have felt supported by the staff here since the first day of living on campus. My Room Assistant has gone out of her way to make every single one of us feel at home and even my teachers have gone out of their way to be understanding and listen to us as more than just students, but family. The mental health services at Wesleyan also make me feel safe and remind me that it is okay to not always be okay.
Something that has helped me a lot is having down time for myself. Being around many fresh new faces can be overwhelming at times and being able to close my door and breathe by myself has made this transition much easier. Also the events that have taken place over the last few weeks have helped me connect with people outside of my friend group. Freshman orientation may have been very long but it allowed me to make connections even before I stepped inside the classroom. I am studying to be a future nurse and am on track for the Sentara Nursing program. Being able to be around people who have the same ambitions as me is motivating and gives me a reason to keep pushing through. The wide variety of classes and extracurriculars offered here also allow me to find hobbies/ ambitions that I didn’t know existed before I arrived here. I am excited for what these four years have in store for me and I can’t wait to meet and influence other people around me.
By Shelby Kore
