Opportunities for Growth

In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, while the university was locked down and isolated, I won an award. It was a writing award that highlighted the importance of my work and career, an award that offered a small financial reward (that helped me buy a new laptop, badly needed), but most importantly, it was an award that let me stretch my skills as a writer.
I’m referring to the President’s Writing Award, an award offered annually to all undergraduate students at Boise State. In the two years I’ve been at BSU, I’ve won two awards through the contest for work that was important to me. I’ve submitted several manuscripts to numerous categories, allowing me time to reflect and revise specific pieces of work that were meaningful to me. I was able to take this experience and use it to prepare for writing to grad school programs and submitting work to academic journals.
One of the most damaging things any student can do is assume that their work doesn’t matter. It’s painful and leads to apathy when our world needs your voice. The President’s Writing Awards is a worthwhile goal for all students, regardless of their status as an undergrad, to try and be better. It’s simple to apply – every Spring, the competition opens, accepting any work from the past academic year into its eight categories. Students can contact the President’s Writing team with any questions (they’re super helpful – I would know). They can also utilize the Writing Center and even past professors and other students for help editing their work (again, speaking from my own experience).
You might not win. I’ve not won in four of the six categories I tried. But you can always learn. And isn’t that the whole point of college?
Check out the President’s Writing Awards

One of the most profound pieces of advice I have for any incoming or current student at BSU is to take on as many leadership opportunities as possible. Serving on the COAS (College of Arts and Sciences) student leadership team during my senior year has been an incredible experience. It has allowed me the opportunity to grow a variety of skills that are necessary for the workplace. Additionally, serving on the board has allowed me to interact with various engaged students that I would’ve never met otherwise. Collaborating on this board to provide our student voice to changes on campus and create student-centered events has been one of the highlights of my time at BSU. Although initially nervous about joining and unsure of the time commitment involved, I am so thankful that I stepped out of my comfort zone and applied. While the COAS board has been an incredible leadership opportunity, it is just one of the many opportunities available for all students on campus to grow as leaders.

Applying for an internship has been one of the best decisions I’ve made over the course of my college career. Not only has my internship provided me the opportunity to put the knowledge and skills learned in my coursework into action, but it has also allowed me to gain experience that will aid me in my future career.
When offered an internship, students have the option of registering their internship for academic credit that will count towards their degree completion; I highly recommend that anyone seeking out an internship take this step. Being able to earn academic credit for completing my internship has been an amazing experience for me because I was able to reduce my course load for my final semester at Boise State while still getting one step closer to earning my degree.

Look for emails from your department and professors. I only discovered my internship because it was advertised via an email to my student account; you never know what opportunities may come your way, so it helps to keep a close eye on any announcements your professors or faculty might make.

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