How Have We Grown?

Throughout the school year, we as a community have grown together, whether it be in our personal lives or in institutional changes in the administration; for example, this year, President Andrea Luxton and Pastor Dwight K. Nelson from PMC have retired from their positions. These are all changes that we have learned to accept and embrace as we head into the end of this academic year — but how have we learned to do so? I went out to speak with some of our freshmen to ask them about the ways they believe they have grown in this university throughout the year.

“This year has been completely life-changing for me. I have matured in all aspects of my life: physically, mentally, and emotionally. I have made lifelong friends who will always be there with me, and even when they are gone, they will remain in my memories. When I look back to see how far I have come, I find that I am proud of how far I’ve gone.”
David Creitz (freshman, biology)

“I’ve grown in a variety of ways, not just in academics but in different sets of skills–one of those is time management. While here, you really learn to deal with hectic scheduling. A lot of the time, certain dates get moved, and some things land on the same day, so you really have to look at your priorities. Another skill is opportunity cost. I’ve learned that with multiple things happening on the same night and at the same time, [which means] I will have to give one thing up. You learn to manage what the best decision is in that moment and also for the future — an example is whether I should go to the basketball game or study. Overall, decision-making, opportunity cost, time management, and priorities are things I have learned while here.”
Reagan Westerman (freshman, psychology)

“At the very beginning, I was very excited to come to Andrews to pursue the dream of becoming a nurse and studying Spanish. However, as time went by, I realized that the dynamic was very different compared to how it was in high school. I was challenged by the classes I had to take, specifically in the sciences, because I wasn’t sure how to study for each of them and manage my time wisely. I have always been a good student, so I always felt bad for not knowing what to do with this situation. As time passed, I learned that it’s okay to struggle a little bit; the fact that I was struggling didn’t mean that I was a bad student; instead, it meant that it was all about being patient and trying different techniques until I found the right one, as well as being able to manage my time well.”
Cielo Sandoval (freshman, pre-nursing & Spanish)

“I honestly didn't know if I was making the right decision picking my major or coming to Andrews, and I was very unsure about my future. With the aid of professors and mentors, along with making new like-minded friends, I've seen God brought me here for a reason. I am happier, closer to God, and more prepared for my future than ever.”
Ethan William Daniel (freshman, exercise science)

“College life has helped me in being more accountable and responsible over my time and responsibilities that I have as a student. It taught and showed me that success is dependent on being personally intentional about your own actions and decisions”.
Edd Joseph Jr (freshman, computer science)

“I think one way I've grown in the past year at Andrews is that I’ve been able to learn to take opportunities as they come instead of just waiting for ‘next time.’”
Helena Hilton (freshman, fine arts)

“I do feel like I’ve grown throughout the year, especially as an international student. Learning how to be more independent and navigating a new country has been interesting, but it definitely helped build more confidence and responsibility in being able to do things on [my] own.”
Beaula Mangundah (freshman, medical laboratory science)

“I have definitely become more independent since coming to Andrews. I also think my relationship with God has become a lot stronger.”
Seth Wallack (freshman, aviation)

It is hard to remain stagnant here at college; you are almost forced to grow, whether it be through the classes you take, the religious institutions you attend, or the social circles you choose to be a part of. No matter what, you are forced to confront, at least once, situations where your being has to change to adapt to surrounding circumstances. It is only afterwards that one can truly decide if they had grown in the right direction or if they had become a person they did not want to become. On the institutional level, we as a community are still going through changes, some of which most won’t see the fruits of until after graduation. However, on a personal level, we can see ourselves change over a week, a month, a school year, or even over a lifetime. Maybe you won’t even realize that you have grown until you graduate, but no matter what, we will always change; I know I have, or at the very least, I know I am not the same person as from the start of the semester. I think I have grown in a good way, and I hope you have too.