I finally made it! Four years of struggling: working throughout my degree, numerous extracurriculars from Orientation to founding my Fraternity, every summer taking extra courses to get ahead, fighting doubt and fear to prove to myself that I can do whatever I set my mind to. Never have I been more challenged, shaken to the core, and burnt out than I was every successive quarter at Cal Poly. Week 8 of 10 usually marked the break-down week, where all odds seemed against me. Where passing was going to rely on sheer will power to complete all final projects on time and to the specifications, not to mention passing all final exams as well. As mentioned in my rambly For What it’s Worth post, I could not be more grateful for the opportunities this place has given me. I made many lasting relationships, forged many new unbreakable habits, and truly got what I was looking for: a directive. Go out into the world and make a name for myself in AI and government, help people understand and appreciate the great technological feats that are happening every day. OSTP here I come, but first the tech industry.
Now that my time at university is complete, I must summon my worn, battle-hardened mind from the depths of my person. It must be revived, reborn, and re-motivated. For so long I thought of only, “How am I going to get myself through college?” Now I must think, “How am I going to ensure I make it through life, healthy, happy, loved, and most importantly self-determined?” I lived without any of those feelings for most of my final year at college, because I was alone and stuck in my depression. Complacency is not always your choice, but when it takes all that you are away from you, there comes a time where the only question you ask yourself is why am I still around. That’s where I was. It takes strength to find purpose, knowledge to define it, love to turn it into a passion, and dedication to live by it. Holding yourself accountable only works once you’ve defined your purpose, made it your passion, and are willing to fight anything that challenges you. Only then can you truly convince yourself that your life is yours and you’re happy to live it. Until then, Never Stop Trying.