Drew An '16, Psychology

How does the prop represent you?   

Summer after my freshman year, I took a risk and lived in Maine with a dear friend from Eastern. This jar represents continually stepping out of my comfort zone after that—living in Maine, studying in China, taking on challenging school work, encouraging healing in myself and others, and pursuing new projects at my job. Exploration has become an essential part of who I am.

How would you describe courage in one sentence? 

Courage is the practice of seeing reality clearly, integrating that truth into yourself, and being willing to take the next right step toward good—it’s acknowledging the world, knowing yourself, and acting with integrity. It means constantly remaining faithful to the joyous work of being fully alive, with all of the joy and suffering that entails.

How did getting your degree require courage? 

Any challenge requires risking failure to even begin. Taking on the Honors College, a major, 2 minors, being an RA, a few jobs, and studying abroad was full of risk and opportunity.

How does your current job require courage? 

My job invites me to embrace fierce conversations across the company, dedicate myself to hard work, and always to seek what is real in discussion and analysis. These are hard things requiring courage to stay loyal to truth, care and fair data analysis, each and every day.

How did EU help you become more courageous? 

EU encouraged me to ask the hardest questions I could ponder without shying away from difficult possibilities or answers; and this pushed me to encourage fierce vulnerability and forge authentic human connection. Eastern taught me the beauty of the universe, especially the mystery of other people, which allows me to step forward into new explorations with excitement rather than fear.

Where do you hope courage will lead you?

I hope that I will continue to become a person who pursues the numbers and narrative of the universe with clear eyes and an eager heart, walking earnestly into the truth of joy and suffering.