“Living the Dream” – The Saint Rose Way

I can’t tell you the number of times I interact with someone, ask them how their day is going, and their response is “Living the dream.” I say it daily, you probably say it, and you’ve probably heard someone else say it. I never really thought about what this phrase meant until my boss Matt Vincent asked me one day “but what’s the dream you’re living?”

It’s a thought-provoking question if I’ve ever heard one. It was a question I reflected on and thought about what dreams and expectations I had for my life at Saint Rose before I even moved in my first year. I knew before coming here that I wanted to get involved and make a mark on this campus, and I definitely think that has been checked off. Between being hired as a Resident Assistant, the current Vice President of the Student Events Board, a Summer Orientation Leader, member of the Reach Out Saint Rose planning team, participant in multiple Alternative Spring/Winter Break Service Trips, and now an Online Ambassador/blogger, the list goes on and on! My Saint Rose experience would not be half of what it is without pursuing my dream of being involved on my campus, so I’m proud to be living that dream in my daily life.

Some of the great people I spent a week with in New Orleans, LA repairing homes affected by Hurricane Katrina for an Alternative Spring Break trip!

Sometimes in my crazy day-to-day life, I forget that the real reason I am here is because I am a student pursuing a dream of becoming a teacher. Despite the rigorous course load, observation hours, and days spent writing papers and reading textbooks, I am everyday one step closer to achieving my goal of having my own Spanish classroom upon graduation. However, it is with every page I read, every student I interact with during observations, and each class I attend that I am living the dream and working closer to my goals.

I suppose the last dream I had for myself before coming to Saint Rose was that I was going to become more confident in myself, and with that form a really close friend group and support system. That is one dream I can gladly say was achieved very early on in my life as a Saint Rose student. Between the girls I lived with my first year (long live Lima 2!), the awesome staff I get to work with as an RA, the E-Board of SEB, and so much more, I have met the best of friends that I know I will have for a lifetime. They say that college is the time you meet your wedding party, and let’s just say mine will be pretty large.

So, as you go through your days as a Saint Rose student, think of the dreams that you’re choosing to live.  Think about who has helped you achieve those dreams, and what is going to help you to succeed even more. And the next time someone asks you how your day is going, proudly tell them that you’re “living the dream.”

College isn’t only about school work! My SEB E-Board and I had a great time at Semi-Formal last year!