This past weekend, my a cappella group had its second performance and the experience I had singing with some of my best friends was like no other. As I reflect on this past weekend, I can't help but think about how different my life is from just one year ago. I thought I'd take some time to unpack the difference a year can make. This week also almost perfectly marks a year since I started writing for Odyssey, so the theme of yearly changes is one that is resonating particularly right now.

Last year, around this time, I was not, in fact, performing with a group I love so much. I was still transitioning to college, struggling to find my place, dealing with "rejections" from things I had wanted so badly to become involved in, the biggest of these being a cappella. During this time, I wrote an article titled, When One Door Closes, Do You Find Another Door Or Knock Again?, which I think fully encompassed how I was beginning to reshape and redefine my experiences of "rejection" as experiences of opportunity, experiences that would push me to create new beginnings for myself and continue to follow my passion.

One year later, and I can confidently say that I am now part of so many groups and organizations on campus, doing things I love.

I think a big part of this shift to finding my place at Villanova was, in fact, Odyssey. I have said this before and I will say it again and again: writing for Odyssey has given me a means to share my voice, to process things going on in my daily life, to unpack the complexities of my emotions and experiences.

Taking on the perspective of a writer has made me more inclined to treat everything in my life as an opportunity to gain new knowledge and to continue to grow.

Looking back on the "rejections" of last year, I realize that I am here today not despite of but because of everything that set me off that first semester, and I think there is something beautiful in the fact that it is because I was turned away from certain programs that I am now a part of what I am.

If I had made an a cappella group first semester or been able to be an LPH for Special Olympics or Sidekick for NOVAdance, would my Freshman year have been any less fruitful? No, of course not. If I had been accepted into any of these programs, I know that I would have grown and gained experiences from them.

However, if all of those things had worked out, would I know what it is like to be create a new a cappella group on campus, would I know the overwhelming feeling of joy one gets when being accepted into a service fraternity after applying a second time?

Would I know the feeling of deep gratitude one gains in knowing that through everything, they can persevere and shape their life as they wish?

I struggle to use the word rejection in this piece because I think it focuses too deeply on the negative. What I ultimately want to voice is that it has been a year of growth, and I am deeply grateful for all the experiences that I have had.

Besides involvement on campus, in the past year, my connections with others have also proven to be a means to grow. One year ago, I was still finding my people on campus. Today, I can say that while relationships will never be perfect, I have a life filled with deep love and connection, that I have friends new and old that I can turn to. At the same time, I have also learned to turn to myself first and foremost.

My relationship with myself is one that I am continually embracing, but this past year especially has urged me to understand my introversion and need for self compassion always.

Going back to my experience of writing for Odyssey, I feel that my Odyssey articles are the epitome of all that made up my Freshman year. All of my articles are based in topics that are very much real and resonating with me at the time, and if I were to open up any article written last year, I could pinpoint the conversation or moment that inspired the article. I love the fact that I now have a means to look back on the essence of my experiences in the past year. Unlike social media platforms which are made up of pre-mitigated posts trying to fit a certain image, using Odyssey as a platform has allowed me to accurately, and I hope authentically, relay the complexities of life.

A lot can happen in a year, readers.

So take a moment to appreciate where you are right now, no matter what has happened, and realize that you have the infinite power to shape your life however you want.

I have no doubt that each of you could write a similar article about the amount you have grown in a year. We all have that capacity. Here's to realizing that sometimes, good things take time, but for the time being, there is still always good all around us.

Talk soon,

Sam