Rachel '19, Psychology

How does the prop you brought represent you?

I brought my passport as a physical representation of my courage to explore. I love both exploring the world, and exploring all of what I am capable of, whether that be academically, physically, or spiritually. I want to have the courage to fully explore all my possibilities.  

How would you describe courage in one sentence?

Courage is the drive to go after, and achieve, anything one sets their mind to, despite limitation or reservations.
 

How did getting your degree require courage?

Getting my degree in psychology has pushed me to look at a daunting syllabus during the beginning of a semester, worry that I will not be able to achieve what is being asked of me, but push through with courage anyway to do my absolute best, despite any doubts I have.

How does your current job or career path require courage?

I am currently the psychology department assistant here at Eastern University. This means that I must be able to achieve any task that any of the psychology department professors throw at me. This job required courage to accept since I was just a freshman when offered the position and felt far too inexperienced to take the job, but I took it anyway, despite my fears.

Additionally, my job requires courage when something goes wrong. With a new job, mistakes are bound to happen, and I certainly made my fair share of mistakes during the first year of the job. Courage comes into play when I must approach one of my mentors, for whom I have so much respect, and own up to my mistakes and ask for help. Asking for help requires real courage.

How did EU help you become more courageous in your thinking and actions?

EU has pushed me, and given me a platform where I can explore all that I am capable of. With the support of the many caring faculty members at Eastern, I have been taught to have the courage and to strive for what I want and to be brave in asking big questions that I desire answers to.

I plan on studying abroad in Lithuania next Spring semester. I am just not sure that I would have had the courage to travel somewhere so far out of my comfort zone without Eastern teaching me to have courage in my actions.
 

Where do you hope courage will lead you in the future?

I hope that courage will lead me to the perfect place for me to pursue a master’s degree in psychology. I want to have the courage to look at a daunting application or class load and have the courage to pressure it wholeheartedly with no reservations.