New Year's Resolution 2016: Making Connections by Nadine

New Year's Resolution 2016: Making Connections by Nadine - January 2016 Scholarship Essay

Among the countless resolutions I had sworn oath to as a new year approached, a majority of them never really adhered while the year carried on. The issue was not lack of or shirking of commitment. Neither was it the act of indolence. Where the problem lied was within the nature of these resolutions. I was always fashioning the typical resolutions of individual betterment whether it was changing a form of my lifestyle or shedding a few inches to improve my self-image. The cause for these firm determinations losing its vigor was due to their shallowness. Superficiality never initially concerned me, so it was a wonder why I made superficial promises to myself. Another factor is how my own well-being was generally overshadowed by the interactions of others. I observed how my resolutions remained unfulfilled because I was involved with the lives of others. This aspect did not perturb me, however, it brought me to the conclusion that I was making the wrong resolutions.

When asked to describe a New Year’s resolution that will result my becoming a better student in 2016, ideas of studying more or organizing time management instantly come to mind. Yet, I sense a depthless characteristic to these ideas, somewhat associated to the resolutions aforementioned above. Studying more and organizing time management are one of the many requirements that accompanies the roles and responsibilities of being a student. Acting upon these requirements would hardly be a laudable resolution. My resolution of becoming a better student extends more than meeting the roles and responsibilities of a student. I want to tailor my resolution of becoming a better student in 2016 to incorporate what I do best, and that is interacting with the lives of others. Therefore, my New Year’s resolution of becoming a better student in 2016 is to make connections.

Recently, I have applied to the University of Arizona College of Public Health. I intend to pursue a Master Degree in the Family and Child Health program with a concentration of Maternal and Child Health. Upon entering a graduate program, I anticipate more challenges and input of commitment. But what I mostly anticipate is the connections I will build if accepted into this program. In accordance to my New Year’s resolution, I wish to become deeply involved within the community of this particular program. I want to become familiar with existing faculty and students along with new students. My desire is to collaborate closely, especially with those who carry similar interests and passions as me. Within my collaboration I want to gain knowledge from those that will become my close mentors who are dedicated in harnessing my ideas and enthusiasms. I want to form lasting friendships with my classmates and wish for us to embark on great academic adventures throughout our studies.

Not only do I wish to make a connection within my desired institution of study, I also want to make a connection with the community I will be interacting with outside of the program. The College of Public Health offers students tremendous opportunities for community involvement due to its richness and diversity of the Southwest and U.S.-Mexico border regions. I am eager to become involved with the community I live in through a different lens, a lens that will aid me in making a connection with populations and possibly individuals through my research and studies. I wish for my dedications and efforts in my studies to communicate a desire to help those within my community. I want my interactions to obtain a profundity that will change individual’s lives, even if by a small degree.

Studying hard and receiving exceptional grades is only part of being a dedicated student. What makes the strenuous efforts put into an individual’s studies worthwhile is by networking and forging connections. My New Year’s resolution of making connections will undoubtedly make me a better student in 2016.