Two Years Later: A Look Back at my DePaul/UCWbL Journey

As I sit here in the Loop location of the UCWbL (because frankly, where else would I be?), I cannot believe that spring quarter is almost finished. Two weeks from now, I will graduate from DePaul University with a Master’s in New Media Studies, and my life will essentially begin.

Looking back at my time here, it has been nothing short of wonderful. The summer before I began my program, I had two important decisions to make. First, where would I attend graduate school? At the time, I was weighing my options between DePaul and two other universities; needless to say, I made the right choice. The second thing I had to make my mind up about however, was whether or not I would accept a position at the UCWbL.

Obviously, now, it seems like a no-brainer. The fact that I even hesitated for a moment makes me squirm. But there I was, with a friend in Los Angeles, when I got the confirmation email. And truthfully, I was not sure whether or not I wanted to take on the opportunity.  I knew graduate school would be grueling, and I had already worked in a writing center once, knowing how much it can take out of a person. In the end though, I wanted to fall into a community here at DePaul, and I could not deny that one centered around writing would be perfect for me.

Although I fell into the rhythm of my program pretty quickly and without any hiccups, it took me some time to become one with the UCWbL. I started off working only five hours a week, and even when that became 10, my only responsibility (until spring, 2013 when I joined the Web and Tech team and covered small shifts on reception) was as a peer tutor. I loved what I was doing, but I was ready to spread my wings out and explore new aspects of the UCWbL.

This year I have been a peer tutor, a writing fellow and a receptionist. I have spoken to classes and campus organizations about the in’s and out’s of the UCWbL. I have worked tables during special events such as International Writing Center Week. I have co-run/run social media accounts and been a guest on Scrawl radio. I have dedicated 20 hours a week, every quarter, to the cause; a cause that I wish I could keep on giving to forever.

Both DePaul and the UCWbL have proven to be everything I had hoped they would, and more.  I have taken a variety of captivating classes (Social Media Management, Communication and Technology and Sports Blogging, to name a few), met a tremendous amount of uniquely brilliant individuals (a round of applause for you all), and helped writers on every type of writing imaginable (including a letter to President Obama himself). I would not trade these past two years for anything. And am grateful for the fact that I will still be with the UCWbL this summer.

So thank you DePaul and the UCWbL, for providing me with a chapter of my life I will always cherish. It is a shame time has gone by so fast, but here is to bigger and better things. And who knows, perhaps those things will land me right where I started. Like they say, things tend to come full circle…