“I am Still…A Young Warrior Woman”
By: Kalynne Brantley
When people told me that freshman year is like pre-college, the year to ease you into what really is about to happen, they were not lying! Freshman year is nothing compared to this year and I mean that whole-heartedly. And not just in terms of academics, but socially, physically, and emotionally as well. Last year for me, was all about becoming acclimated to my new environment, making friends, getting a sense of what college classes are all about, and partying! I would say I was more focused on having fun and finding my “people” so to speak. This year has been more about self-discovery, where I see myself, what I want to do, and what my purpose here at Spelman is.
The summer before Sophomore year, I spent a lot of time reflecting on the lessons I learned during my first year, I analyzed what I did wrong/right in the classroom, how I interacted with my peers, what was I doing to propel my goals I had for myself, etc. And while doing all this, I kept finding myself comparing what I had done to what I heard my sisters were doing. So, I made a game plan for year 2: utilize office hours more, create relationships with my professors and peers, joining more clubs, become more social, participate in more community service opportunities, etc. And that is exactly what I did when I got back.
It wasn’t until mid- September that I found myself sitting in a Young Democrats of America (YDA) meeting tired and drained that I had a couple epiphanies. The first thing was that I was in a YDA meeting and I am not even registered as a Democrat or had a true interest in politics that everyone around me had. The second was that I realized that I had joined all these clubs, gone to all these social events, and wore myself out because that was what everybody else was doing. But it wasn’t what I really wanted to do.
So, I dropped the clubs I had no true interest in, cut back on going out, and sat down to decide what I really wanted to do and what was best for me. That is when I applied to be a Research Assistant (RA) in a Cognitive and Temperament lab (CAT lab), where I would have the opportunity to help test the cognitive skills of African American students (3rd & 4th grade) and how the student-teacher relationship correlates to the results. Since being accepted, I have not only grown to enjoy research, but have realized the passion I have for youth, the interaction/mentorship you can create with students and the education system as a whole.
Because of this, I kept applying for opportunities I felt nurtured this passion and were what I really wanted to do. I am now a New Student Orientation leader for the upcoming academic year and also have been accepted into a teaching fellowship in Atlanta for this summer. Plus, I have received the opportunity to studying abroad in Morocco for two weeks. I say all this to say, that year 2 has been about doing things for myself not for everybody else, realizing my purpose, and trusting that God will make a way. I have been continuously reminding myself this year that the Lord knows the plans that he has for me, plans to prosper me, plans not to harm me, plans to give me a hope and a future. That he has anointed me, set his seal of ownership on me, and placed his spirit in me as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come. And through my obedience, I AM predestined to do all great things (Jeremiah 29:11, 2 Corinthians 1:22). And I will continue to trust the process because I know I got big plans that will come into fruition!
