When I graduated from Albertus in the spring of May 2019, I had no idea the shift that was about to take place in my life. Graduating with a B.A. in Psychology and working with the amazing staff in the department truly gave me a hunger to work in the field that I could not ignore.
I learned first-hand that a student’s path can be changed if met with kindness, understanding, and care from an educator.
However, the road to my Masters Degree felt long and winding. I found myself personally struggling throughout my undergraduate experience, which as a result, took me much longer than I would have liked it to. I knew that the life I envisioned and the work I wanted to be doing was out in the world somewhere. I wasn’t sure what it was at the time or what it would look like, but I knew what it would feel like. It’d feel like fulfillment, alignment, and service. My urge to serve students experiencing the same sorts of struggles I did led me to apply to the AmeriCorps Volunteers In Service To America (VISTA) program. I searched for programs that aligned with my degree and my passions and did so without telling my family or loved ones, mostly in fear of their reaction.
By alignment of the Universe, I ended up applying to a program called the Indigo Project in Denver, Colorado. Indigo deals with Social Emotional Learning and Career Planning, using innovative forms of student-centered technologies in order to individualize the learning experience for each student and get them the support they need. Within three weeks of applying, I was offered the position. I packed my bags and bought a plane ticket. I did this against all odds and advice from those around me, telling me that it would be too difficult financially and that I should just get a higher paying job and start saving money.
I now reside in Denver and in just three weeks, I have moved into my first apartment and am doing work I have only ever dreamed of; I’m making use of my degree from Albertus and reinforcing the belief within myself that alignment with my passions and heart will never lead me in a direction that isn’t meant for me. The challenges I will face will reveal themselves in time but I know that I made the right decision in following my calling to Denver.