A Letter to My Freshman Self

By Sarah Flint

Dear Freshman Sarah,

In the name of practicing forgiveness, I forgive you for getting stuck in a cycle of going to classes, studying, and sleeping. It was all that you knew. While you saw those around you going to club meetings, meeting friends for dinner, studying together, and going to football games, I recognize that you were scared, confused, lonely, and overwhelmed.

Let’s reflect on what stopped you from reaching your full potential. Your upbringing was unique. You were adopted from China at age 3, grew up with a single mother in Vermont, lived in an extremely undiverse town, watched your adoptive mother die when you were 16, moved from the life you knew to a small town in Washington, and then tackled UW on your own. You were never taught how to express your feelings or even how to recognize what you were feeling. Mental health was stigmatized and looked down upon. Any form of pain was shunned. This internal pain made you scared to reach out to a new community of amazing opportunities that awaited you at UW, but also to professionals who could help support your mental health.

Seeing everyone around you move into the dorms with their parents, call their parents whenever they wanted, meet their parents for dinner, and go home to their families on the weekends or holidays, or hearing others talk about their families was a constant reminder of the internal pain you were hiding from the world. Your personal story was not one to be ashamed of, but one to be proud of. You proved your resilience during times of unpredictable hardship. Change allowed for a unique opportunity for growth that most don’t experience at such a young age. This growth is an asset. You bring a new, dare I say refreshing, perspective on life.

While you do not have to share your battle scars with everyone, your battle scars are what makes you you. You thought these scars made you scared and isolated when in fact these scars gave you an opportunity to help others whose scars are still healing. Go out there. Go to that meeting you are scared to go to. Go to that interview for a job that pushes you outside your comfort zone. You will be amazed what is in store for you when you start saying “yes.”

Seek discomfort,

Sarah

Sarah Flint is an AmeriCorps College and Career Coach at College Success Foundation.