Student Profile: Jackie
my major | advice | who I am | campus life | loving people | spirituality
>I’m someone who has always loved stories. My grandma fed my imagination when I was little by telling me fairy tales and filipino folk stories about monkeys, turtles and coconut shells!
>Working on the high school yearbook combined my love for words and stories with my passion to work with people on creative projects. It was a joy to see my interests, talents and skills come together for a purpose.
>By grade 11, I began to realize that I deeply loved studying Literature, encouraged by the praise of my teachers. Instinctively I knew I wanted to study Literature at university but my family had different ideas about the direction of my future out of concern and desire to help me make the best choice.
>My parents and I waged a grueling battle for a year. The more my parents wanted me to become a nurse, the more my passion for literature was fueled.
In attempting to negotiate a cease-fire with my parents, I convinced myself that I would enjoy nursing. But I was strongly drawn to Arts courses. I tried to find a way to study Nursing and Literature concurrently at UBC, but it was an impossible.
By the end of grade 12 my parents saw my academic success in and genuine love for Literature. I came to accept that I needed to pursue what I knew was right for me.
>I love the English Lit faculty and students at my university. They are a crazy bunch of caring, creative and intelligent people. I love bantering with other English Lit nerds and enthusiasts.I believe that if you are passionate about what you do it will show and it will positively affect your relationships with people and the quality of your work.
>Be disciplined and active in your reading — take notes and always think of ways to connect your reading to literary criticism, theory and other issues/ideas discussed in your other classes (even non English classes). Studying Literature with an interdisciplinary approach yields fruitful results.
>Take risks to get to know your professors, TAs and students who are committed to their studies. For me the best learning took place sitting in my professors and TAs offices throwing ideas back and forth. Talking about your ideas with people and getting their input is the most enriching academic and personal experience. Take opportunities to do independent studies with a professor you get a long with.
>I’d hate to be without my pillow! I’m really attached to it. I even have a name for it but I’m too embarrassed to say it here. My mom has tried to throw it for years. Last summer, she succeeded but I got a new one to replace it!
In spare moments you might find me emailing, talking to friends on the phone, watching movies, news, Jeopardy and documentaries with my family, reading, journaling, playing guitar and listening to music.
>When no one’s watching I am someone who thinks deeply about everything that I’m observing and feeling,- perhaps even to the point of worry. Someone recently told me I’m melancholic in nature. I think that’s partly true but I am also someone with crazy and hyper ideas.
>When I’m alone, I like to spend time thinking about the goodness and faithfulness that I’ve experienced in my life from God. I also like figuring out my thoughts and feelings in peacefulness.
>I desire to live my life in such a way that models and imparts truth; I want to help others find freedom in their lives. I grew up always fearing I would fail and disappoint everyone. I overcame this fear as I found freedom in experiencing a deep and unconditional love from God.
>The opportunities to grow and learn in university have been amazing. My two great loves in my academic life are doing research and exploring how different theories apply in literature.
But the most important part of my university experience has been much more than academic growth. I’ve grown so much in my spiritual life as I saw other students who loved God passionately and genuinely. I saw how their faith in God was authentic and integral to their lives.
>It was a challenge to be disciplined with my time and adjust my thinking to the academic level of my professors and classmates. I experienced a steep learning curve in my first year of university primarily because I had to stop expecting spoon-fed treatment from my professors. I had to quickly learn the language, style and concepts used by my profs, or else I’d be lost.
>The hardest thing about university life for me is accepting that I am responsible for the outcome of my decisions and that my decisions affect not only myself but others. Independence is great — but it comes with great responsibility. It should not be abused. I’ve come to see that maturity and independence are an inseparable couple.
>I’ve been learning the importance of building good and genuine relationships with people. It’s so important to love and relate to others and help meet their needs. My friends here have taught me that many people suffer — from relationship abuse, societal injustice, discouragement, fear, failure, disillusionment, cynicism, pessimism and lack of hope. They carry their suffering for years and perpetuate it onto others. I suffer when I see and hear of others’ suffering.
I believe if you want to know and feel God’s heartbeat, go to where there is suffering. His heart is close to those who suffer. No class, no matter how politically or socially activist driven it is, has taught me how to love people. It has been through listening to the stories of students and suffering in their sorrow and taking part in their joy that I have come to understand that an important purpose for my life is to love the hurting.
Jackie talks about struggling with insecurity and suspicion of God . . .
Related reading:
- Are you deliberately designed for a greater purpose?
- Can you state your life purpose in a sentence?
- How do you find meaning in life?
- Back to student profiles
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