Maaike Niekerk

Categories: There are many trite themes that come with reflecting on college and closing that chapter in one’s life. From finding yourself to realizing failures reinforce successes, there are many lessons that come with this milestone. The unfortunate thing is that almost all of these themes ring true. As I flip through the memory book of my four years here at the University, what stands out to me the most is the importance of allowing myself new experiences and finding what’s right for me.

Categories: I have people in my life who have recently told me that I seem to have it all figured out. That’s crazy to hear now because, if they had met me just a few years ago, I am sure that would not have been a topic of conversation. I walked into college as a political science major with plans of getting into a top-tier law school post-grad and becoming the next Elle Woods or Jake Brigance.

In early March, with a decision I hadn’t fully processed yet sitting in my inbox, I stopped by Jim Hinterlong’s office on a whim. Jim is the Executive Director of the University YMCA, and over the years he’d become one of those rare older figures on campus you could actually talk to, so I went to him for advice. We ended up talking for a while, and it was the most clarifying conversation of my senior year; before then, I was mostly sleepwalking.