Facing adversity is an unavoidable fact of life. My third year at the University of Cincinnati was my hardest yet, but also my best yet.

This year kicked off with a return to in-person classes and activities (with masks on, of course). While overwhelming, this reintroduction to regular life was invigorating. I didn’t realize how much I missed seeing my professors in-person or even just being around the Lindner College of Business building. I didn’t realize how much thrill I could get from being back in Nippert Stadium or planning actual group activities for my residents. I felt on top of the world.

Fall semester, I loaded myself with a full schedule, including an incredible honors seminar on cryptocurrency. In this class, I learned and got hands-on experience working with blockchain technology, NFT’s, and crypto portfolios. Our professor Dr. Jones engaged us with interesting case studies and discussions. A highlight for me was purchasing an NFT racehorse with my small group after the class voted our NFT presentation as the best. Learning about cryptocurrency opened my eyes to the economy of the future as well as the power of innovation. I am now more interested in learning about emerging technology and maybe even incorporating this passion into a future career as an intellectual property lawyer.

While I enjoyed classes my fall semester, I decided to go on co-op in the fall as a Data Analyst intern at Claritas, LLC. Taking this step of committing to a full time co-op was daunting at first and there were days I felt completely inadequate when I walked into the office. I wasn’t smart or capable enough to contribute to the team. However, I also gained the confidence to speak up and share my knowledge and ideas. I learned that my voice was welcome at the table even though I was a new intern. Slowly, I became more articulate, creative, and confident. I gained quantitative skills analyzing data and helping companies identify and optimize their best audiences. I learned new software and even got to try my hand at some Python coding. By the end of the co-op, I recognized that I made so much progress along my professional journey and was able to take pride in my growth.

Overall, third year was one for the books. Adversity and all, I am a better person for having lived it. I’m looking forward to fourth year (and most likely a fifth year as well) to round out my time at UC and especially in UHP.