Finding Your True Calling by Belle

Finding Your True Calling by Belle - November 2022 Scholarship Essay

The most surprising source of inspiration this year was discovering the Master’s program I am now interested in pursuing post-graduation, as well as the undergraduate degree change that resulted from it. Before this semester, I was a Nutritional Sciences student interested in one day becoming a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, which would require a Master’s degree to achieve. The Master’s program I was interested in was something in Public Health. Since I was already in a degree that had a Public Health Nutrition concentration, this made the most sense at the time.

Late September, I heard about the Oklahoma State University's Grad College Virtual Recruitment Fair via social media. When I visited the website, I had to stop and stare for a bit because on the banner for the event website was a photo of someone in a wheelchair. I am a third-year student with multiple disabilities at Oklahoma State University, and that was basically the first time I felt seen. I looked into the programs that would be represented, scrolling down to the “P’s” to find Public Health. However, I came across a program in the “E’s” that I could not get out of my head – Educational Leadership Studies, Option in College Student Development.

When I reflect on my time at Oklahoma State University, I have noticed that I feel like I am being pulled away from diabetes education and pulled toward helping college students with disabilities like me. The experiences I have had, the struggles that have resulted, and the desire to connect with other students like me have all lead me to want to be the kind of resource I did not have when I first started college. For example, the resource would be a fellow student with disabilities that is familiar with the University and how to navigate various aspects of college life, such as applying for accommodations, how to better self-advocate, what to do when accommodations are not being met, and connecting with other students with disabilities, who are more likely to have similar experiences and interests than non-disabled students.

As a result of this career change, I also changed my undergraduate major; there was no way I was going to complete another year or two of hard nutrition courses when I am not going to be using that information professionally! I wanted to better tailor the credit hours I have left to the Master’s degree I will eventually apply for. The undergraduate degree that not only allows me to do that but will also help me to graduate sooner than my original Nutrition degree is a Bachelor’s of University Studies. With this major, I have a greater degree of flexibility on what courses I can pursue. Though there are still lower and upper division requirements to meet, I am fully confident that this is now the best path for me. I think I have finally found a career path that bests fits my life experiences and interests. I think Mark Twain once said, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Whoever said that, I could not agree more!