Two Moments that Changed my College Experience
In the last four years at DePaul, the time has seemingly flown by, yet so many memories were created. A mix of small and large moments has brought me to the position I am today, and I am grateful for all of these experiences. These are two moments in my college career that really pushed me.
Living in DePaul’s dorms my freshman year was cut short due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. As an out-of-state student, I was beyond excited to move to a different city and get the opportunity to explore a new place. It was difficult to have to move back home so quickly after getting a taste of the Chicago lifestyle. The Pandemic was a time full of unknowns, but I was determined to move back to Chicago. Luckily I was able to find an apartment with my friends and begin the new school year back in the city. Living in an apartment for the first time was exhilarating. The Pandemic was still in full effect, so the city was more closed down than I had hoped but it was a great opportunity for me to explore things on my own and find what I really wanted to do. Online classes gave me a great deal of free time to dive into my hobby of photography with the Chicago landscape being the perfect model. This hobby has turned into me doing freelance work for DePaul and also other Chicago companies. It has turned into the opportunity to stay in Chicago upon my graduation.
Another moment that has changed my college experience was getting an on-campus job! In my Junior year, I received a position at the Art School where I was a supervisor of different studios with a focus on the film photography dark room. Again, my hobby of photography lead me to take a film photography class, and the next quarter I began working as the darkroom supervisor. Working on campus allowed me to become closer with the DePaul community. I met so many students and faculty that I was able to build great connections with. They push me to be creative in both my personal and professional lives.
~Morgan