While it would have been nice to graduate last May and save myself $25,000, I am much happier continuing my education in a field I am confident in. 

When I started school in 2020, I came in with a major in forensic anthropology with the hopes of becoming a forensic anthropologist.

When I leave school in 2025, I’ll be graduating with a bachelor’s in broadcast journalism and a double minor in studio art and fashion merchandising design.

Those two majors are on two completely different sides of the spectrum but I’m glad I took the time to find out where I’m supposed to be.

During the second semester of my freshman year, I took a general education journalism course. There was a final assignment due at the end of the semester that I did not complete so I thought I was going to fail the course. I just threw caution to the wind and said whatever and completely forgot about it.

My professor reached out to me and asked where my assignment was, and I told him I didn’t complete it, but I did enjoy the course and I’d like to keep in touch. He set up a meeting for us where he would tell me about the other journalism courses here on campus as well as the student publications on campus.

We talked for a while about me, the things I would like to do, like radio broadcasting and interviewing, what opportunities there are that would best fit me as well as the things I would like to do once I graduate. 

He decided to take me on a tour of Buzzard Hall, and I fell in love. He took me all around and talked a really good game. 

By the time we finished talking and ended the tour, I knew I had to do something in that building. Since talking is where most of my power comes from, I declared my broadcast journalism major with the hopes of one day broadcasting from my own radio station or having my own podcast.

With the help of one general education introductory journalism course, I found a path I was meant to walk on. For many students who go in either with a declared major or undecided, they find solace in those gen-ed courses. 

Being able to take the range of courses that don’t align with your very concise and particular major allows you to see all the things the school has to offer as well as all the different avenues that you could possibly go down.

It had taken me around two years to declare my broadcast journalism major, three years to declare my first minor and five years to declare my second, but that’s ok.

The typical path from high school to college to graduating in four years would have been nice, but that wasn’t in the cards for me. 

The stigma surrounding graduating college in four years has plagued me for the majority of my college career, and it wasn’t my fourth year here when I realized graduating in four years isn’t for everyone.

I’ve heard from my mother, advisors, peers and recent graduates that graduating in four years is the bare minimum. But at the same time, societal pressure diminishes what they have to say. I would beat myself up all the time for not graduating with my class and still being here, but I must remind myself it’s ok.

It’s ok not to know who you are yet, it’s ok to be in the process of finding yourself, it’s ok to experiment and explore, it’s ok to make mistakes and it’s ok to follow your path no matter how long it takes to get to the end.

You are your own person, and only you can decide who you are. 

Suppose I had continued with my forensic anthropology major. In that case, I don’t think I would have been given the opportunities and experiences I’ve been through that have shaped me into the woman I am today.

I have grown immensely as a person in all aspects, compared to who I was when I started school in 2020, and I owe it all to my time spent here at Eastern.

I can confidently say I have a head on my shoulders, I’m more confident within myself and I have a love for myself that I never thought was possible. 

I can see the work I’ve put in here already starting to pay off. I know the purpose, capabilities and power I hold as a journalist, I have created a network of like-minded individuals and have a goal for when I graduate. I don’t think I would have been able to become who I am today if I didn’t follow the path I was meant to go down.

Going to college for many people is their first time being alone with themselves. You don’t have your parents, school and the people around you telling you who you are and what you’re supposed to be. Now you’re by yourself, and now you must tell yourself who you want to be.

Having to unlearn the things you’ve been told you were to find yourself after 16-plus years is a very jarring experience to go through, but it’s the most fulfilling thing I think anyone can experience.

Regardless of how many times you must change your major, the number of courses you must add or drop, or extra semesters you must stay in school, keep showing up for yourself. Do what serves you because you want to.

It doesn’t matter how long it’s going to take.

By the time you finish and cross that stage whether it has been four years or 10 years, you will be grateful for the person you allowed yourself to become and that’s all because you decided it’s ok not to know who you are yet.

Alexis Moore-Jones can be reached at 581-2812 or at admoorejones@eiu.edu.