It’s hard to believe that I am already a senior! How incredibly bittersweet it is. As the reality of graduation begins to set in, I feel both overwhelmingly excited, and yet slightly nervous about what’s to come. I think the biggest challenge for me this year will be allocating sufficient time to both academic and personal commitments. Acquiring that balance will be critical to making the most of this, my senior year.
After having lived on-campus for the last three years, I decided to move off-campus this year. The house I am renting is a 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom, located just a few minutes from campus. It’s definitely within walking distance…although I still can’t get up early enough to be able to take advantage of that. I love living here, because it has given me a whole new set of responsibilities and helps me feel like I’ve finally “planted my roots” in Nashville. (I am also super excited about having trick-or-treaters this Halloween!)

Classes are going well so far; surprisingly, my main focus right now is not on schoolwork! I’m in the process of completing my application to Belmont’s Occupational Therapy program. One of the components of the application is to obtain 50 hours of observation in the field. I have absolutely LOVED being able to job shadow because it has just solidified that this is, in fact, what I want to do for the rest of my life. I especially loved shadowing at Pediatric Therapies, located in Franklin.
In addition to babysitting, I’ve also been working part-time at The Friends Shop — the gift shop at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. It’s such a great job, and a totally new experience for me.
All in all, it’s turing out to be a busy (yet wonderful) semester!