Snapshots of my College Life

With only a month left until graduation, I am reflecting on these last four years. There were huge milestones and major pitfalls, and these are the most memorable ones I can think of:

FRESHMAN YEAR:

I begin with a Philosophy major and Jewish Studies minor. I have my young heart set on becoming a rabbi, a decision I made when I was 15.

I have my first roommate, Jennifer

A few weeks into the semester, I realize that Philosophy is not all I thought it was cracked up to be...so I switch my major to another one of my great loves...ENGLISH (with a concentration on writing).

And then I went Greek!

(...and then became un-Greek at the end of Freshman year)

SOPHOMORE YEAR:

The biggest decision of my entire life happened...I became a Christian! And I joined with my first church family, Campus Crusade for Christ.

Clearly, my dream of becoming a rabbi is no longer an option, and I realize that normal people don't have their entire lives mapped out when they're barely even old enough to drive a car. So I hang out in career limbo for a while...

JUNIOR YEAR:

I turned 21!

And...

I studied abroad in Italy! In an action-packed semester, I learned a very difficult lesson: adventures do not always have to be comfortable in order to mean something. While suffering from homesickness, trying to adjust to life in another culture and learning to live with 5 other women, I found myself longing for the familiarity I was trying to escape from, and I realized that nothing is constant in this ever-changing world...only God.

An unusual lesson to learn when living in another country, but that's what happened.

And finally...

SENIOR YEAR:

Realizing I was no longer growing spiritually in Campus Crusade, I joined a new church, h2o.

I became a columnist for my school newspaper, a job that forced me to develop thicker skin and challenged me to stand up for my ideals even if majority of readers disagreed with them.

And then I got baptized at the rec center

I begin thinking more about grad school, and decide to pursue a Masters in theology or divinity, with the goal of becoming a chaplain or pastoral counselor. I want a career where I can use my faith to help people, and honestly, I like the sound of Chaplain Caplin...hehe.

I also file a request with the state of Ohio to legally change my name from Sarah Elizabeth to Sarahbeth. I'd always hated my name growing up, but then after being baptized I realized, how cool would it be to do a name change like the original matriarch Sarah from the Old Testament did when she entered a new covenant with God? I didn't tell the judge that, though...

And then I studied abroad AGAIN in England, France, and then mosied over to Ireland for a few days...all over winter break.

And now, with only a month left of college, I wonder how I've made these last 4 years as meaningful as possible. This is only a brief overview of everything I experienced, and certainly does not do all four years justice. But I think I did an okay job of living it up, wouldn't you say?