I am not your typical Quinnipiac girl. Spending my Friday afternoon thrift shopping is the highlight of the week to me, my main mode of transportation is my skateboard, and instead of going to Toad’s on Saturday nights, I would much rather spend the time getting artsy in my room or going to bed early so I can head into New York City the following morning. I like wearing shirts with dolphins on them and old sweaters and being outside almost more than anything on Earth. It’s evident that my interests and personality don’t do a great job at blending in with my peers.

However, attending Quinnipiac is a necessity for me if I want to accomplish my dream of one day having my own occupational therapy practice that allows me to get children with disabilities and cancer patients out on skis and snowboards. With its five and a half year entry level master’s program and excellent reputation within the field, pursuing OT at Quinnipiac is undoubtedly going to put me in a fantastic position to achieve even my wildest OT-related dreams.

I would be lying if I said that I didn’t base my college decision on what I wanted to do with my life. Ultimately, as the May 1 deadline to make my choice approached, the question of what my dream job was at the moment held the answer to my future. It was either go to Saint Michael’s College up in Burlington, Vt. and pursue journalism and possibly environmental science, or come to Quinnipiac and go into OT. In the end, OT, seemed to be a more stable career path, and thus, I chose Quinnipiac.

I still wonder what my life would be like had I chose Saint Michael’s. I am almost certain that my college experience would be better than it has been here. Being surrounded by creative, snow-loving, free spirits that share my love of longboarding, adventure and being outside, sounds to me like the greatest situation to be in. But, due to my dreams in life, making that aspect of the college experience a reality seems impossible at the moment.

Although it may not sound like it, I actually don’t regret choosing Quinnipiac. The journey to where I am now has not been easy or always unicorns and rainbows, but it has taught me a great deal about both myself and those around me. My ability to adapt to different personalities quickly has gone from virtually nonexistent to quite incredible, if I may brag, and though it took all of freshman year and the summer following, I have finally become proud of what makes me stand out in a community that lacks diversity.

Finding good friends here has made me question my character at moments and has been one of life’s biggest challenges thrown at me. I can’t deny that one bit. But, the moment I receive my diploma for a Masters of Occupational Therapy, hopefully with a minor in journalism, I will be on my way to making an impact on so many children’s lives. It keeps me going through the hard times and, sometimes, lonely nights filled with self-doubt.