Fall 2020 was my first semester of college at the University of Florida. During this time, I experienced a great amount of personal development through discovering new passions, academic interests, and perspectives. Now concluding this semester, I'm grateful for these experiences of growth and awareness that have made me a more holistic learner.
The Reality of College in Isolation
Entering college, I had many concerns related to both academics and my personal life. Even without the pandemic, I was worried about making friends, finding my community, and becoming involved. COVID-19 heightened these concerns, as I soon found myself off-campus for the Fall 2020 semester.
General isolation during this period and the cancelling of my senior year of high school created a pessimistic atmosphere for me. Adding on college did not work to improve my mental health as I routinely found myself waking up, logging onto my computer for class, and going back to bed every day without social interaction or leaving my bedroom. This schedule eventually landed me in an unhealthy mindset which I acknowledged I had to change, prompting me to become involved with student organizations at the University of Florida.
Involvement in an Online Environment
Due to COVID-19, many organizations transitioned to an online format using platforms such as Zoom, Instagram, and Facebook to host events and disseminate information.
The first organization I joined was the Student Honors Organization (SHO) in the Honors Program. I had goals of joining SHO before I committed to the University of Florida due to my positive experience in student government during high school. This decision ended up being one of the best choices I made during the Fall semester. I joined the Diversity & Inclusivity Committee and met with members every Wednesday night to plan events, participate in professional development workshops, and simply have fun. These meetings became something I looked forward to every week, regardless of how stressed or upset I was. Being a member of SHO also allowed me to connect with Honors members without being on campus. Overall, SHO has been an amazing leadership opportunity and a chance to make friends in an online environment.
Connecting to My Cultural Identity
Being a Chinese adoptee in a predominantly white environment, I always had aspirations of engaging with my cultural identity during college. I tirelessly searched for Asian American organizations at the University of Florida and went to numerous General Body Meetings (GBMs) within the first month of college. This was an opportunity I never had before and thus made me extremely excited to dive into my heritage as well as learn about other cultures.
From these organizations, I was met by dozens of welcoming, kind individuals who validated my concerns of diversity and inclusion in college, and my goals of immersing myself within my culture. I joined a variety of clubs ranging from In Between, which directly focused on uniting and uplifting Asian adoptees and mixed-race individuals, to Health-Educated Asian Leaders, which addressed my professional interest in medicine. The range of multicultural organizations offered in college helped me become more secure in my identity as an adoptee and provided me a community that can connect to my experiences of discrimination.
A New Academic Interest: Anthropology
Fall 2020 was also a semester of academic growth and personal realization. Entering college, I was set on the pre-medical track with hopes of becoming a physician. While skimming through pre-health electives, I stumbled upon Global Health Cultures which studied the history of public health, hospital ethnographies, and the intersection of biomedicine with social issues (e.g. racism, poverty, colonialism).
Prior to this course, I viewed anthropology as a monotonous subject that wasn't relevant to my studies. However, studying these topics made me immediately fall in love with anthropology and realize its tremendous value and applicability to medicine. I've always wanted to combine my passions for social justice with those of medicine but I was unsure how. Taking this course introduced me to the relevance of anthropology and informed me on medical racism, traditional medicine, and global maternal health. This experience motivated me to pursue a minor in Anthropology and continue with courses related to public health and health disparities. Global Health Cultures also inspired me to pursue OB/GYN pathology and breast pathology as a medical specialty.
Conclusion
Ultimately, my first semester of college changed me in more ways than I can count. It taught me how to adapt to new circumstances, immersed me in cultural community, and introduced me to a new academic passion. It was truly a whirlwind, and I can't wait to see what the next semester will bring.
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