During my junior and beginning of my senior year of high school, I struggled with my next steps while everyone else was deciding where to go to college. Nothing felt perfect; I didn’t get into the schools I convinced myself I wanted to go to, and I still wasn’t sure if college was the next step for me. I eventually decided to go to the University of Vermont because Vermont is like a second home. The campus is beautiful, and I was accepted to start in spring, meaning I could get more time at home before leaving. When I was home for the first semester, I got to dip my toe into the working world. I worked part-time at a preschool and loved it, and it opened the door to a whole new world for me. Plus, I was way more motivated to work than I ever was in school. The higher expectation to show up and do well while getting a paycheck in return instead of getting a grade on a paper just made so much more sense to me.   

Even though I loved my preschool job, being stuck at home was not helping my mental state. I still wanted to see what college was like, so in January of 2020, I left for UVM. I fell in love with the environment at UVM. I made so many amazing friends and unforgettable memories. But I wasn’t doing well in my classes and covered up my anxiety and depression by avoiding all my work and hanging out with friends. After around three months of being at UVM, COVID hit, and I was sent right back home. I took it as a wake-up call and an opportunity to try something new. My first idea was to live in Burlington, VT, near UVM’s campus, and work instead of going to school. That way, I could try something new while still being somewhere I was somewhat comfortable. But after trying to plan out and see how much work that be, I knew I wasn’t ready to do that.  

After talking with my parents and therapist, we came across Dynamy’s program. After a couple of weeks of exploring the Dynamy’s program and talking with Stephanie, the Assistant Admissions Director, I decided that Dynamy was my next step! The past month has been excellent. While there have been many obstacles, like certain constraints because of COVID, challenges with my internship, and living with 13 other people, it has pushed me to learn more and work harder. My internship is at Be Studios now @bestudiosnow, a photography studio space open to members to use to create their masterpieces and a place to hold events and exhibits! We are currently working on a fantastic event coming up in December and other smaller projects and events. Some of the tasks I am given are similar to school assignments, but without the anxiety of the GPA’s grade and pressure, the tasks are more enjoyable for me, and I am more motivated to complete them. After being here for the past month, I know that I made the right choice in coming to Dynamy, and I look forward to spending the rest of the semester learning, growing, and making a lot of lifelong friends.