A wise man recently told me to learn to celebrate my life achievements. Too often, I hit milestones already thinking about the next big thing on my agenda, like the master’s program I start in the fall. This week, however, is for reflecting upon my college career! Contrary to popular sayings, these four years did not fly by. In sum, it was a long roller coaster ride. But I promise I didn’t ride this one with my eyes closed.
I started college at the University of Notre Dame at the age of 16. Personally, I didn’t realize that I was super young for my grade. I was actually expecting to see a few people my age in my starting class. It was a blessing because it prevented me from having the cliché 22 Jump Street type of college experience. However, it also made it a little harder to blend in socially. Also, coming from Nigeria, I was hit with some culture shock. This surprised me because I thought I had seen enough movies and visited enough times to know how the whole USA college thing worked. Regardless my college experience was fulfilling. Of the many things that made my time in college exciting and flavorful, being a Style Guru for CollegeFashionista has to be the most surprisingly rewarding.
I have always known myself to be a Jill of All Trades. I always find a way to make time for the things I’m passionate about or things I want to learn. So I made time for fashion! Since I sent in that application to be a Style Guru, I have never once regretted it. Through CollegeFashionista, I have mastered the art of approaching strangers (a.k.a networking in Business major talk). The CollegeFashionista background story in itself gave me the courage to pursue my dreams fearlessly so much so that I launched a brand of printed shorts for the summer. Most of all, my sense of style has skyrocketed from its original state. Just yesterday, someone told me that my best friend and I always dressed like grandmas in our Freshman year. This story becomes more hilarious when you discover that I made all the style choices for both of us. This story also has a happy ending… thankfully.
Beside style, the greatest thing I learned from being a Style Guru is to do the things I am passionate about, and do it with passion. When I was younger, I struggled with sticking with things – instruments, stories, journaling etc. I always dabbled. CollegeFashionista is something I stuck with till the end, and I learned to apply that in other aspects of my life. It wasn’t so hard, because I was doing something I love. As someone with many passions, this makes me so excited for the future because I know it will be a great adventure!
While, as an ND grad student I will no longer be a Style Guru, I plan on being the most fashionable CPA you’ll ever meet!
