Everything Happens for a Reason

Freshman Year: Sophomore Year:     Junior Year: Senior Year:

For this week’s blog, I want to share a personal story! As we wrap up the fourth week of classes, I’m feeling stressed and juggling a lot. But despite the chaos, I feel the happiest and most like myself than I have in a very long time. However, reaching this point wasn’t easy. I had to let go of something I once loved passionately for over nine years to finally start feeling like myself again.

Let’s rewind to my freshman year. I was recruited to run for the Women’s Cross Country and Track teams here at Ohio Northern University. Running on the team was everything I had hoped for. I loved the people, the environment and of course, running. I came to ONU on a high, running well, traveling to meets, hitting my goals and staying consistent with my times. As the season progressed, I grew faster and more confident.

When the season ended, I jumped straight into indoor track, where I continued to excel. Practices were going well, I was hitting new PRs and I even started training for a new outdoor event called the steeplechase. Since it was winter, we improvised by using the indoor long jump pit to practice the jump motions. I was excited to try this event for real in the outdoor season.

When the outdoor season started, it was time to tackle the steeple jump over the bar and into the water. I was nervous, but I laced up my spikes and took a leap of faith—literally. Unfortunately, the landing didn’t go as planned. My heel jammed hard into the track and the pain shot through me. Determined to make it work, I tried the jump again, but the same thing happened. My heel was throbbing and I knew I had injured myself.

Over the next four weeks, I went through physical therapy and treatment. I wore a boot and dealt with the sting of knowing my freshman outdoor season was over before it began. This injury hit me hard and it also affected my performance during my sophomore cross country and track seasons.During that time, I also switched my major from Exercise Physiology to Graphic Design, which allowed me to focus on project-based work that I truly enjoyed. Even though running wasn’t going well, I was thriving academically, meeting new people and discovering a new side of myself. I even picked up a Social Media minor, which is part of why I’m writing this blog! While I had distanced myself from running for most of my sophomore year, I was genuinely happy with where I was and the new path I was forging at ONU.

By the time junior year rolled around, I was ready to succeed in both running and school. I put in a lot of effort over the summer and felt confident about my training. However, during camp week, I suffered a back injury that sidelined me for three weeks. Once again, this setback hurt, both physically and mentally, but I fought through it and had a strong junior season. I was consistent and came close to my freshman PRs, which felt great.

But as winter break approached, I took a step back to analyze the semester. I realized that even though I was running well, I wasn’t feeling well. While I had found lifelong friendships through running, I no longer loved the act of running itself. I also noticed that I wasn’t doing as well in school as I thought, partly because I was constantly rushing from class to practice. Running had become more of a stressor than an outlet.

I had to confront a tough truth: I was burnt out. I was cranky, emotional and not myself. It became clear that the sport I had loved since seventh grade, the sport that once made me confident and passionate about the outdoors, was no longer sustaining my happiness. So, I made one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make and quit running cross country and track. Telling my coach over winter break felt like closing a huge chapter in my life, and it was one of the hardest pills to swallow.

However, my story doesn’t end there. During this time of reflection, I was applying for internships. Not long after, I received a call back from Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives, offering me a Communications Intern position for the summer. This turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life. The people were fantastic, I learned so much and I worked on several different projects. I began to feel confident in my ability to succeed in something I loved, a career I never knew would fulfill all my dreams. After the internship, they offered me a freelancing position while I’m in school and I’ve never been happier with where I am today.

The takeaway from this story is that when times get tough, it’s important to pause, reflect on where you are and consider the changes that might bring you closer to happiness. Sometimes, the path to fulfillment involves making difficult decisions and navigating heartbreaking moments. Throughout my time at ONU, I’ve learned that everything truly happens for a reason and when one door closes, another always opens. Stay resilient, because there’s always an opportunity to emerge stronger and better.

As always, GO BEARS!