...They're called doctors!
The above is a famous quote from Tommy Boy that really rings true in my own life. I started BYU in 2009. Now here I am in 2016, finally walking in my graduation. The craziest part though? I'm actually still in spring semester right now! So I'm a fraud and it's not even a real graduation! I've still got two classes and my capstone to finish! Ah well. I've fit a lot into these 7 years in (and out of) Provo. I could reflect on the person I was and the person I've become but that would be a little too deep for this moment I think. I will say though that it is pretty surreal walking around campus sometimes and thinking to myself- I have been so many different people here. So many versions of myself. I remember near the beginning of my college career, Emily told me to go make myself into Jenny 2.0. I think I'm probably on version 7.8 now. But that's ok! The whole point of our lives is that we are works in progress.
And not that lists make substance, but here is a list of the things that I have accomplished here in college:
Freshman Year 2009-2010
- Successfully lived away from home for the first time (but there were lots of homesick tears)
- Made some amazing best friends
- Sang in Women's Chorus which took up lots of time and gave me a sense of belonging on campus
- Earned a full scholarship for the following year
- Got my first kiss! (Yeah, I know--can you believe how long it took? No regrets though.)
- Traveled to Ann Arbor Michigan by train to visit a friend in the summer
Sophomore Year 2010-2011
- Moved off campus with 5 wonderful girls. We lived in Liberty Square which is a BYU cliche and we loved it. We had a time out wall and once I came home to find my roommates having a 'crafternoon'
- Started seeing a counsellor in Orem to figure out why I struggled with so much stress and unhappiness (see the tears and ridiculously good grades from Freshman Year). I was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder which was scary and such a relief. I started taking medicine and practicing mindfulness. I only told a few close friends at first, but my improvements were noticeable to my roommates. As I got healthier and happier, I realized that there was a much better version of myself underneath all my perfectionism. I started sharing my struggles more with others and I came to appreciate even more the way that people had loved and stuck with me through the not-my-best-Jenny years.
- Was admitted to the Pembroke-Kings Programme in Cambridge England-which changed my life.
- Through a series of what could only be inspired events, met my good friend Sameer. He helped me with homework, we dated for a little while and he encouraged me to dream big and change my major to international relations
- I dyed my hair blonde! Seriously, I looked awesome.
- I studied in Cambridge and made some really good friends who encouraged me to live life with faithful intellectualism. I also met the person I would one day date very seriously and consider marrying. We had a lot of fun together.
Junior Year 2011-2012
- My friends and I moved to the Brittany and I finally got to be roommates with my sweet sweet Lotterbeth. We had so much fun sleeping through alarm clocks, arguing over when to turn the lights on ever Saturday morning and whether Mike Johnson liked her (he did).
- I started considering going on a mission. I actually started my papers!
- I got my heart broken for the very first time. It was this guy in my ward that all my friends liked. I thought he was so hot and I was shocked that HE liked ME. Things were going really well so I was taken unawares when he ended it. I was then embarrassed when this break-up jump-started a major bout of depression that lasted for months.
- I convinced my parents that I wouldn't die if I went to Uganda
- I went to Uganda and, with my research partner Erik, conducted over 300 interviews of war-affected men and women in Uganda. Over half of them were former child soldiers. I got ridiculously sick and it was ridiculously depressing. It was also one of the most life-affirming things I had ever done and upon returning, I cemented my determination to work in international development.
Senior Year (#1) 2012-2013
- I came back from Uganda (via Holland where I visited Sameer!) a much more confident person.
- I rekindled a friendship with that person I mentioned from Cambridge. Slowly, we started to fall in love.
- I TA'd for Political Science 200 and graded about 8 essays a week.
- After much prayer and deliberation, I submitted my mission papers and was called to serve in the Massachusetts Boston Mission.
- I accepted a job evaluating an NGO in Gulu Uganda and postponed my mission
- In January I drove my car home to St. Louis with said boy. We got in the biggest fight I hope to ever be in with a romantic partner. We also grew extremely close because of it.
- I travelled to Uganda via Istanbul with my fellow contracted consultant, Kristen who became a great friend and support to me. We did dozens of interviews/focus groups/observations around Gulu. It was amazing and lonely and filled with laughter and many tears and even a giant rat in the bathroom!
- I postponed my mission once again to catch a breather after Uganda and decide whether to stay home and marry that guy
- We took a trip to New Mexico and I received the clearest revelation of my in the main square of Santa Fey at about 9 o'clock at night- I needed to go on my mission.
- May 22nd, excited, heart-sick, and terrified I entered the MTC (which I hated)
- 14 days later I arrived in Boston (which I loved). My first area which I stayed in for 5 transfers (I spent Christmas there!) was Central Falls, RI. An absolutely sacred place to me.
- Guy broke up with me around Halloween. I reacted by putting my head inside a pumpkin.
- To say losing my fiance was difficult would be an offensive understatement. To attempt to describe it with any more detail would be to fall into unacceptable cliche. Suffice it to say; my heart broke. But then it grew back so much bigger.
Mission 2014
- In early January I got transferred to Framborough Massachusetts. Though she intimidated the crap out of me at first, I got to be companions with Sister Kirsten Crane who has become one of my best friends for eternity.
- Sister Crane and I became Sister Training Leaders and got to go on little field trips to other areas around the zone and we planned the most epic zone meetings and p-days ever (OWN IT!)
- I was transferred to the Portable Visitors' Center where I also met a best friend-Sister Lorianne Bell. We travelled all over New England. I got to write the script for our new visitors' center church tours. I experienced possibly the worst depression attack of my life (seriously, I couldn't stop crying. It was hardly an emotion anymore. It was just this emptiness in my gut. I remember looking at my pill bottle and realizing that I was experiencing every warning side effect--I got some great help).
- Despite the difficulties it was one of the happiest times of my life. Mid-December I returned home to start my post-mission life. This was scary and exciting.
Senior Year (#2) 2015
- I moved into a private room with random roommates in Provo
- I was thrown into an advanced economics class where I relearned basic calculus and pulled my grade from a D to a B-.
- I gathered a group together and started participating in Y-Prize. We called ourselves AGOGO.
- In May, I went home and worked as a secretary at a law firm in STL for a month-earning just about the money I needed to get my ticket to Uganda.
- I travelled back to my beautiful Gulu (via London) with Lori. We lived there for about 6 weeks putting together our new solar light company
- I came back to America for a week and was a bridesmaid in Lottie's wedding in Manti
- Instead of going to fall semester I flew to Holland and started my internship with the OPCW.
- I became great friends with Ashley and Cameron and got to see Sameer all the time
- Throughout those months in Europe I traveled to London, to Paris, to Berlin, to Belgium, to Norway, to Yorkshire, to Vienna, to Salzburg, to Nottingham. It was incredible.
- I spent Christmas with Laura's family in England- we even went to the Doctor Who experience in Wales for my birthday!
Senior Year (#2.5) 2016
- I moved from England straight back to Provo. I moved in to my new apartment with random roommates but in the same building as Lori and Kirsten.
- The transition from Holland life to BYU life was actually more difficult than the transition from mission to post-mission. I really loved Holland.
- I took lots of classes and got good grades.
- Lottie's husband was deployed to Afghanistan so I got to hang out with her all the time and sleep at her apartment when she was out of town.
- The Ladidah's were officially formed and started performing around Utah valley
- I flew home (yay free flight vouchers!) for Valentines Day to see my family for the first time in like 7 months.
- I graduated! Well, my parents came out for me to walk in the graduation ceremony and it was really fun to spend time with them.
- I realized that I had turned 25 and was still single living in Provo. I started to freak out about my future.
And this gets me to where I am now! Spring semester, almost done, just accepted a job for next year! (Shh....it's not public yet because I can't get ahold of my parents who are on a cruise in Scandinavia. I know.)
Anyway, after that long-winded recap, here are some pictures of the special weekend!
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| The weekend started off with a performance at Guru's! |
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| I love my papa |
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The next day we had the big commencement in the Marriott Center!
I got to walk with Kristy |
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| And Jen! |
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| And I saw Flavia! |
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| Mom wasn't feeling too good |
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| Lottie drove us home which was real nice |
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| outside the apartment |
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| The next day we had the 'real' college graduation at 8am in the JSB |
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| Because I graduated from the Kennedy Center for International Studies we had awesome African drummers. |
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| Because obviously! It was like a sign for me. |
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| shaking hands with my former professor that I used to TA for |
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| All smiles |
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| My dad is a very gifted photographer |
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| Me holding my fake degree |
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| Proud parents |
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| They are the reason I made it here |
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| pretending to be a kennedy center speaker |
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| Posing with every international image I can find! |
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Africa and Europe- my two loves!
Although I don't know why I'm pointing to West Africa... |
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| International! |
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| Spoiled little me in front of the study abroad wall |
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| The African drummers provided music at the reception afterwards too! |
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| I love the caption on that juice. We had african food too! |
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Me with David M. Kennedy
Apparently he met my grandfather Francis once upon a time! |
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| The World is Our Campus (and boy, for me it really has been!) |
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| That night, I went out to dinner with my parents and some friends to celebrate! |
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After that we went to Lottie's house for cake and singing!
My sweet parents brought me my favorite cookie cake all the way from STL for the occasion-
what gems. |
So there you go! It's (almost) a wrap! Thanks to the angels that have supported me over these formative years. I might have made it through but I certainly wouldn't be me without them.
