Third Place
2021 Future Alumni Essay Contest
Imagine a windy day at the beach and the free-spirited unsaturated sand being blown and swept around with each draft. The many millions of grains with unpredictable futures and no discernable destiny just taking flight with the current of opportunity. Some find themselves leaving their sandy counterparts behind for rocky and muddy seaside fickleness while others make their way towards the vast ocean of the job market. In one way or the other, we are somewhere between deep ocean water diving in the depths of our academic rewards or relaxing unfavorably behind the cumulative mounds of sand wondering what's beyond it.
This was particularly my mental status’ home address, 0000 relaxation drive, No Life, No Future, zip code 00000-0000. My interest to become something of value at that prior lower vibrational point of my life was a pessimistic far cry. It was the sentimental birth of my son on that cold December morning in 2016 when his little hand gripped my index finger making me realize things are going to be different now. Mommy was still numb from that epidural and slightly sedated but daddy had an epiphany. A certain passive grain of sand was finally awaiting another ocean breeze of opportunity. Daddy needed a career.
Higher-level academics took me on a frustrating journey of assessing my skillsets and reforming my attitude towards my future. I decided to dive deeper into further research concerning public health surrounding cancer and committed to one day contribute an acquired competence toward the promising fields of either oncology, radiation, or nuclear medicine. Thus, choosing a college to facilitate my dreams after deciding what I wanted to do was no cakewalk either. It took me some time to thoroughly research and interview different colleges before moving Trident Technical to the top of the list. The detour my life took after my son was born came with many challenges and I needed a disciplined structure that favored balance, necessity, convenience, familiarity, support, and many other components to complement my daily activities meshing them together into one single mission. The common denominators which impacted my choice were very simple and direct. Balance, necessity, convenience, familiarity, and support held the most value and took the top five placements on my priority list. This was the future I was trying to prepare for and it wasn’t up for any schemes or gambles. Without a doubt, there were other flirtatious escapades but Trident Technical seemed to satisfy all those needs. Thornley Campus was convenient regarding location. Trident Technical does have a solid reputation for student induction into healthcare, and so my familiarity checkbox was ticked off. My prerequisite classes were mostly online so I was fortunate to sustain a school-work-family life balance along with its necessities. Trident Technical also has a responsive support system for students especially in the departments of Financial Aid and Administration. As confident as I became in my decision, I was quickly leaving an old version of myself behind accepting the embrace of this new unrecognizable cocoon molding, grooming, and preparing me through this metamorphosis. At this point in my academic validity, I was at the mercy of another wind current patiently anticipating the breeze of change to sweep me away from 0000 relaxation drive to maybe some other affluent part of my future’s trajectory. I’m thinking 4321 Blast Off Circle, or 5555 I’m Alive Lane, or how about 1000 Resilience meets Persistence Parkway. My successful variant memoed my current self recommending a pair of dark aviators since my future never looked brighter.
The perseverance I had developed at this staggering point in my journey was tested when the fancy dreamt-off real estate addresses were hit by a major storm surge. She bullied her way around the oceanic job market, creating havoc, displacing the basic structure of normalcy. Her code name was Covid-19 commonly referred to as the coronavirus. She affected everything and everyone leaving many including me, having to rethink and maybe amend my original plan. The Healthcare industry felt the worst impact from the coronavirus concerning the rise of the mortality rate to hospital staff burnouts incentivizing a mass exodus. The effects of her damage can still be felt a year later because here we are in 2021 still picking up the pieces and continually adjusting our way of life. My classes were already online so fortunately enough I did not have to adjust from the classroom to an online platform. My biggest deterrent during the pandemic was the ability to remain focus when the world was on fire around me. I discovered how much the Healthcare Field is in desperate need of additional support thus amplified my eagerness and intent to persist heavily in this industry. I became very resilient, understanding the risks and assessing them carefully. Trident Technical has now become the conduit for me to have the ability to give value to the community at large. The entire workforce is in shambles because of the mass resignation throughout the economy. However, the communities we serve require our competence and constant reassurance that somebody still cares about their well-being. That trust has been shaken with our current political, social, and medical climate and needs to be restored. I am honored to be a student at Trident Technical acquiring and perfecting the craftmanship needed to face the challenges of the imploding labor shortage constructively. Covid-19’s surge is not over just yet and is still an unpredictable force. However, I am stronger than ever finally over the conflicting elements that were once obstructive. I can now see the ocean in the distance and I’m inching closer with every sandy stride, purposefully towards a sea of opportunity once unforeseen with dunes of incertitude.
Higher-level academics took me on a frustrating journey of assessing my skillsets and reforming my attitude towards my future. I decided to dive deeper into further research concerning public health surrounding cancer and committed to one day contribute an acquired competence toward the promising fields of either oncology, radiation, or nuclear medicine. Thus, choosing a college to facilitate my dreams after deciding what I wanted to do was no cakewalk either. It took me some time to thoroughly research and interview different colleges before moving Trident Technical to the top of the list. The detour my life took after my son was born came with many challenges and I needed a disciplined structure that favored balance, necessity, convenience, familiarity, support, and many other components to complement my daily activities meshing them together into one single mission. The common denominators which impacted my choice were very simple and direct. Balance, necessity, convenience, familiarity, and support held the most value and took the top five placements on my priority list. This was the future I was trying to prepare for and it wasn’t up for any schemes or gambles. Without a doubt, there were other flirtatious escapades but Trident Technical seemed to satisfy all those needs. Thornley Campus was convenient regarding location. Trident Technical does have a solid reputation for student induction into healthcare, and so my familiarity checkbox was ticked off. My prerequisite classes were mostly online so I was fortunate to sustain a school-work-family life balance along with its necessities. Trident Technical also has a responsive support system for students especially in the departments of Financial Aid and Administration. As confident as I became in my decision, I was quickly leaving an old version of myself behind accepting the embrace of this new unrecognizable cocoon molding, grooming, and preparing me through this metamorphosis. At this point in my academic validity, I was at the mercy of another wind current patiently anticipating the breeze of change to sweep me away from 0000 relaxation drive to maybe some other affluent part of my future’s trajectory. I’m thinking 4321 Blast Off Circle, or 5555 I’m Alive Lane, or how about 1000 Resilience meets Persistence Parkway. My successful variant memoed my current self recommending a pair of dark aviators since my future never looked brighter.
The perseverance I had developed at this staggering point in my journey was tested when the fancy dreamt-off real estate addresses were hit by a major storm surge. She bullied her way around the oceanic job market, creating havoc, displacing the basic structure of normalcy. Her code name was Covid-19 commonly referred to as the coronavirus. She affected everything and everyone leaving many including me, having to rethink and maybe amend my original plan. The Healthcare industry felt the worst impact from the coronavirus concerning the rise of the mortality rate to hospital staff burnouts incentivizing a mass exodus. The effects of her damage can still be felt a year later because here we are in 2021 still picking up the pieces and continually adjusting our way of life. My classes were already online so fortunately enough I did not have to adjust from the classroom to an online platform. My biggest deterrent during the pandemic was the ability to remain focus when the world was on fire around me. I discovered how much the Healthcare Field is in desperate need of additional support thus amplified my eagerness and intent to persist heavily in this industry. I became very resilient, understanding the risks and assessing them carefully. Trident Technical has now become the conduit for me to have the ability to give value to the community at large. The entire workforce is in shambles because of the mass resignation throughout the economy. However, the communities we serve require our competence and constant reassurance that somebody still cares about their well-being. That trust has been shaken with our current political, social, and medical climate and needs to be restored. I am honored to be a student at Trident Technical acquiring and perfecting the craftmanship needed to face the challenges of the imploding labor shortage constructively. Covid-19’s surge is not over just yet and is still an unpredictable force. However, I am stronger than ever finally over the conflicting elements that were once obstructive. I can now see the ocean in the distance and I’m inching closer with every sandy stride, purposefully towards a sea of opportunity once unforeseen with dunes of incertitude.
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