My final blog post... I
can’t help but feel a little sad as I sit here, typing away at my computer.
Even though I took a shot at achieving this fellowship last year, this year was
an entirely new experience for me. I know for a fact that the memories and
friendships I have forged with Context over the years will last me a lifetime.
This whole process has
given me numerous opportunities for personal growth. I can say with confidence
that last year, I was very serious and passionate about making sure everything
was perfect. I wasn’t being myself because in the back of my mind I thought, “Is
that really what they want to see?” I realized this to be a major flaw in my
thinking which allowed me to shift my mindset and take a stronger approach this
year. I know perfection isn’t realistic and I didn’t want to make myself seem
perfect. I wanted to make sure the panel knew my face and truly got the sense
of who I am as a person.
Secondly, I wanted to
just have fun! Last year, due to my serious manner, I didn’t really allow
myself to enjoy it. I treated it as a competition in which I was dead-set on
winning. This year, I allowed myself to open up and enjoy the application
process. What I took away from this whole experience was to always be myself
and show people the true me and what I have to bring to the table. I also
admire the growth I’ve seen within my fellow applicants. I feel that everyone
showed great determination and passion for this fellowship. I could feel their
ambition for wanting to win this competition. It was refreshing to be
surrounded by such determined and focused individuals. I can tell the panel is
going to have a tough decision to make.
Because this is the
end, I want to end on a positive note. Win or lose, I want congratulate
everyone. Congratulations on making it all the way to the end, pushing through,
and never giving up. We can all proudly say we made it to the end and gave it
our all. We completed the entire process which is definitely something to be
proud of. We are no longer a group of applicants; we are a part of the Context
family. Nine of us remain… and only two will be selected. Let the anxiety
begin. I wanted to thank Context as a whole and more specifically Ms. Mills,
Ms. Everret, and Mr. Marks for making this another fantastic year. Good luck to
my fellow applicants. In just a few more days, the winners will finally be
revealed.
~DeRael
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