Dear Younger Me,

May 6, 2021
by Bethany

What are OS/OT?

Dear Younger Me,

Where do I start? It is surreal that graduation is in one week! And what a ride this past year has been: home life, school work, and everything in between. I remember moving home at the end of senior year, frustrated at the lack of closure. But every cloud has a silver lining. Can I give you some advice? Hold tightly to every small moment. Cherish watching NCIS with Mom and Dad every night and the regular conversations with them over dinner and walking the dog. Have fun painting your childhood room a color other than purple. Talk with grandma over a socially-distanced meal. It’s amazing that you get to spend this year so close to your family support. And even though it’ll take some time to see them in person again, watch to see which friends you continue to text and FaceTime, the friends that you complain to when life happens. Rekindle old friendships (what better time than an online world?). And thank all of them for getting you through a crazy year.

You’re also a student ambassador! You get to work with an incredibly talented team (that you’ll meet in person eventually!) with the most supportive boss. These are amazing people. Take advantage of the time that you get to work with them, and learn from them. Be creative and honest in your work, and have fun!

This year will fly by faster than you know, and you’ll be closer to being an OT than ever before. During classes and during your first Fieldwork II, be observant and flexible. Build relationships with current (and future) OTs and learn from different perspectives. It’s scary to have to do actual OT things, but you got this! The fifth and final year of this program brings a lot to look forward to.

And keep growing as a human. Can’t wait to see where this next year and beyond will take ya. 😉

Fight On Forever.
Sincerely,
Me

P.S. To the others reading this letter: Thank you to my fellow ambassadors for being an amazing team and to Kim for bringing us all together. Thank you to my family and friends for being there for me. And readers, I hope you’ve had fun and learned about USC and OT; thanks for keeping up with me. Keep being your amazing selves. Much love. <3

⋯