By: Jessica Marshall
I’ve always been an introverted learner; I like to find a comfortable spot in the class to sit, get my work done and leave. In my program, our classrooms are introverted too. Very few of us tend to interact. The professors seem to expect this and allow us, artists, mostly to our devices.
For the first two years of my life here at Sheridan, I did nothing but academics. Attend class and leave. During the second year of my diploma, I managed to handle class time without so much as saying “hello” to other people. It almost became a challenge to float by unnoticed. It was a silent piece of pride at first, but it quickly became a feeling that left me a little hollow.
My turning point in my college journey was the day that I chose to get involved in other things. There were no connections to be made in the classroom. My experiences, my emotions, and my passion for learning were altered fundamentally the minute I chose to get involved on campus. I became a peer mentor, which opened me up to the incredible team already in place and also gave me a reason to interact with other students. I had a purpose, and in reaching out and talking to people in the halls, I suddenly had the drive to make a change, even if that change was as small as saying “hello” to someone else.
Moreover, I found in my work with the school a new sense of drive. It has led me down a path where I can make the change and help people. It is incredibly fulfilling and a rewarding feeling to know that I can now help other students come out of the slump that I previously had found myself in.
In a time of incredible change, we are all experiencing this monumental shift together. With a global pandemic, the transition into online schooling and so much more, members of the Sheridan community have become chameleons to welcoming change into their daily routines.
But not every situation starts and ends so easily. There are hardships, challenges and struggles that we experience to come out successfully on the other side. In this blog series, students, Sheridan Alumni, and members of our Sheridan community will share their stories of resilience and how they were able to overcome these obstacles.
The obstacles will vary from physical, emotional and mental, and our hope is that there will be something for everyone to read and grow from.