It was four years ago the first time I walked on campus for classes. Three years ago I figured out what my major was going to be, following something I loved. Two years since I was frightened about not making it into the program I wanted to. One year since I entered the Faculty of Education as an aspiring History teacher.
Next year I don't know what the future will hold for me. I know what I want it to hold but life has this funny way of saying “not yet,” “I got something different for you,” or basically “you’re an idiot.” What was consistent and didn't surprise me throughout my academic career was my jobs I worked at, doing things I love. All aspects of my life lined up and I was able to chase several different dreams at once. This year I will be completing my studies as an Education student to become a teacher, I will get my promotion within 26th Field Artillery Regiment to Lieutenant and as a member of The Quill I will have the opportunity to represent the organization as the Editor-in-Chief. I am truly honoured and humbled to have had my life turn out so fortunate.
It has been many hours of hard work, whether it was putting together my first newspaper, completing my Basic Military Officer Qualification Army with my fellow Quill reporter Mr. Gohl, or lesson planning nightly and preparing a geography based treasure hunt on my second placement at the high school in McCreary Manitoba. They all took a lot of time, persistence and dedication to succeed at, sacrificing a social life and sleep.
I don’t expect a lot of either of those this coming year. I’m going to make a lot of mistakes, put my foot in my mouth, not achieve all of my goals and be extremely overwhelmed this season. I have no regrets though. I wont shy away from these challenges I will face. I pray not for lighter burdens but for broader shoulders.
It is with this in mind that I welcome you to Brandon University. I would like to welcome you into a land of possibilities and changes. I hope that you are all trying new things and taking leaps and bounds to achieve your dreams and goals. Even if you trip along the run, even if your grades fall during the midterm exams, never give up. Learn to fail better. Learn that to fail something is not necessarily a failure on your part. It is a stepping stone on your path, one that can lead to brilliant revelations if you let it. Never give up.
I spent a lot of time writing this article. Going about it in 3-4 different ways before deciding on what version I wanted to send. What version of it I thought would be most beneficial to our readers. I’ve been writing these articles for four years now and I still have difficulty, I still have to work hard and plan through things in different ways to try and get what I suspect are the best results. It doesn't matter if only one person reads this article, if there is a possibility that The Quill can help, inform or support that one person, then I believe we have the responsibility to produce the highest quality of content possible.
I will work at becoming a better Editor and aim to offer as much support to the campus community as possible. If you need to get ahold of me for a story you would like covered, have something you would like to talk about or would like to write for us you can contact me at the eic.thequill@gmail.com. I can’t promise an exact time I will respond but my goal is to check all my emails twice daily and get responses out asap.
I look forward to this year. I hope you do to. Best of luck and welcome to Brandon University.