Second year RA, I got this. Well second year RA during Covid and people aren’t following safety guidelines, maybe I don’t got this. I knew it was not going to be a breeze, but this was more like a hurricane with lightning and huge chunks of debris hitting you in the face. It was much more difficult connecting to residents this year and my floor did not feel like the same community I had last year. At least I still had programs to interact with residents, oh wait, they would not come. I probably had 4 residents come to each of the programs I planned this year. Compared to the 40 that came last year, I felt a bit defeated. I had to work to adjust my personal expectations during this more complicated time. I am proud of myself just for finishing the year as an RA. In the beginning of fall quarter, I was thinking of becoming an area resident director, which would be a higher position. I thought I could handle the promotion and new responsibilities, but by Winter I accepted that I wanted nothing to do with ARD or any more years working in Res Life. I am leaving now feeling accomplished in my work and relieved I will be off campus next year. (I used this experience as one of my experiential learning requirements.)
|
I was very excited to be back to school, but with that, I had to leave home again after 6 months. I had gotten used to being back in Whittier and seeing my family everyday. During my freshman and sophomore year, I began getting used to missing holidays and birthdays I used to celebrate in high school. Covid this year really changed some of my plans, for the first time ever, I could not go home for Thanksgiving. Since autumn quarter was especially difficult this year with the added work strain and limited interaction with friends, I was really looking forward to going home. I spent Thanksgiving alone, but what was worse is that I did not get to pick out the Christmas tree. Our family takes early trips to Julian, Ca to get our Christmas trees, visit all the adorable shops, and buy lots of candy and apple cider. I missed it this year, and it was really difficult to feel ok with this. It hit me hard to miss this family trip, but luckily I was able to go home for Christmas.
JUNIOR YEAR CLASSES HERE I COME. This year I got to learn about structures, construction, geotechnical, transportation and so much more. Not every topic was my favorite, but learning about a variety of fields gave me a good understanding of where I can go in the future. A couple of problems: these classes are extremely complex and I still do not know if I am leaning towards structures or construction. My professor calmed some of my nerves when he shared that I don’t have to decide until senior year, but that's just one year. I have one year to figure out where I am going. So far, I enjoyed construction engineering and materials because the concepts were easier to understand and solutions seemed more logical. I am also fascinated with the way we choose and design our materials for different uses and specifications. I feel very intelligent when I see our class topics while I walk around on campus. We have permeable pavement by the communications building (how cool is that!) I think structures are incredibly detailed and difficult, those concepts do not come nearly as easily, but I do love a challenge. I hope next year’s senior electives help me figure out which is better for me.
|
In Spring, I decided to do an Ad-Hoc Project for my Construction Materials course. At first I was dreading it because I knew it would become hours of work and I would have to hold myself accountable to get everything done. I was happily surprised when my professor helped me find something I was interested in, and gave me amazing resources to look into. His support made me think I could actually do this, and when he asked me about the deliverable, I volunteered to give an hour-long lecture to my classmates about options for cement sustainability. I could not believe I agreed to this voluntarily and aloud. It was too late to take it back but the funny thing is I did not want to. I got very attached to my project and I dedicated so many hours to researching, making my presentation, and creating interactive elements, I was so glad I was able to share my new knowledge with my classmates. I can know say I have been a guest lecturer at UW. What an insane sentence, but it is completely true. It was one of the most rewarding experiences this year and I look forward to using my newfound knowledge and skills in my career.
I couldn’t forget to mention that I landed an amazing internship this summer! I had the pleasure of working with Clark Construction on the Washington State Convention Center Addition. Yes it’s true, I, Caroline Wigner, got to work on the new building that will host events, expos, musicians, and so much more (possibly Hozier). I was placed on the mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP) team and I could not imagine a better place to be. I lead meeting this summer between the general contractor (Clark), the architects, and subcontractor. I never imagined I would have so much responsibility as a summer associate. I spent many hours exploring the field and learning about the various crafts on the project. I still have much to learn, but everyday I pushed myself to network, participate, and try everything I was assigned so I am content with the way I used this amazing learning opportunity.
|