Path to Harper / Study Abroad

Transcript

All right folks, let’s meet Anna. She has a unique story of how she got to Harper and shares how she managed to balance college athletics with honors coursework and even a study abroad trip. She credits the staff and faculty here at Harper for helping make her transition to a four year university an easy one. Let’s hear it. Anna.

– Hi, Alex. Coming from a homeschool family and as a third culture kid I was extremely nervous for this new chapter in my life. However, I may not have worried and today I am so thrilled to be sharing my experience at Harper College with all of you here. From the moment I stepped foot on campus so many opportunities opened up. I made it onto Harper’s women’s volleyball team where I learned teamwork, time management and how to face challenges head on. As part of my scholarship, I was welcomed into the honors program where I met an amazingly talented, warm and encouraging community of fellow peers and professors. Over spring break, I had the privilege of traveling to Cuba as part of a class studying developing countries. We split our time between Havana, the capital and a small rural town called Vinales. It was absolutely incredible to witness what we had studied come alive. It was also inspiring in heartwarming to talk and connect with Cuban citizens as people genuinely wanted to learn and share. When I started at Harper, I could not have imagined the boundless opportunities, the amazing friends and professors that I would meet as well as the wisdom and advice that I received as I prepared to transfer to Illinois State this fall. Currently, I’m deciding between marketing and business administration, but I know that I am more than prepared to take on whatever awaits me. One piece of advice that is stuck with me comes from one of my advisors, Anna Luna. I was in her office one day bemoaning the fact that I could not decide on my degree and I was feeling pressure from people, and she looked at me and stated emphatically, “It’s not about the degree. Yes, it helps, but at the end of the day, it is you. It’s you that is getting the job.” That’s all for now. Bye, Alex.

– Anna, that was awesome. It was so fun to hear about the amazing opportunities you experienced at Harper and the relationships you were able to build with the faculty and staff. Thanks so much for sharing that.