What I'm thankful for: Around the world

This year has been a whirlwind, but reflecting on it made me appreciate the opportunities of a lifetime I have received in the past 11 months. From flitting across the Midwest to flying across the sea, I have had one of the most exciting years of my life and want to show my thankfulness toward those who made that possible. 

I began my 2024 by taking a giant leap: joining the University of Dayton Gymnastics Club. I fell in love with gymnastics while watching the 2012 London Olympics as a child and trained at a local gymnastics center for over five years with the dream of one day being competitive. Unfortunately, I had to quit once I got to high school due to not being able to juggle marching band with gymnastics, but I’ve always longed to return to the sport.

My return finally came last January, when my schedule had evening openings on Monday and Wednesdays, right when the club practices. The fellow members welcomed me with open arms, and all of my old skills came back within a few weeks. 

My childhood dream of competing came true when the club participated in competitions at Ohio State University and Eastern Michigan University. I competed under the Xcel Silver level, performed on every apparatus at EMU, and our Silver-level team even placed in the team competition at EMU. 

“My childhood dream of competing came true ...”

Life is not usually filled with second chances for dreams, but this past spring, I knew that my 8-year-old self would be brimming with pride if she knew I finally became a competitive gymnast. I am so grateful for the other girls in UD Club Gymnastics who took me under their wing, refined my skills and gave me the confidence to compete. I am still in the club today and am aiming to both level up to Xcel Platinum and compete at NAIGC (National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs) Nationals in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this April. 

While checking off competitive gymnastics off of my bucket list, I pursued another dream I had since I was a child: going to England. While I briefly visited London while studying in Ireland with UD’s psychology department last year, I wanted to return for a proper trip, prompting me to apply for Oxford Flyers through UD’s Honors Program. 

Oxford Flyers is open to UD honors students pursuing thesis projects and gives them opportunities to work on their projects at the University of Oxford for six weeks. I applied with the aim of improving my research on the “Almond Mom” social media trend and how parents influence their children’s dietary decisions. I was accepted and paired with Oxford’s Dr. Anna Scarna, who assigned me papers on maternal attachment and psychological disorders for each week I was at Oxford. 

I participated in Oxford Flyers with fellow UD undergraduates Olivia Dobiez, Kathryn McAuliffe and Aila Carr-Chellman. We all lived, explored the city and performed karaoke at a nearby pub together, making wonderful memories along the way. I also became close with another fellow student studying abroad at Oxford, and she and I saw a multitude of foreign films together at a local indie cinema. 

I felt true freedom and happiness at Oxford as part of a nurturing academic environment and a city enriched by culture, diversity and history. I cherished every day and attended as many lectures and cultural experiences as I could. I left feeling revitalized and enlightened. 

It was a bittersweet ending to my semester, as the Nov. 16 UD football game marked the last time I marched on the field at Welcome Stadium with the Pride of Dayton Marching Band. The game against Valparaiso honored this year’s seniors, and even though I knew this moment was coming for four years, I still cannot believe that my name was called. I was so happy to play our “Victory” march one last time, and I will cherish the four years I had with this remarkable band long after I graduate. 

The rapidly approaching end to my time at UD has given me so much joy and so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. The friends, family and faculty who supported me in my endeavors will always be dear to my heart. I aim to enter my last semester at UD with hope, appreciation and anticipation for the future.