I decided on Minnesota State University, Mankato (MNSU) to further my education for many reasons: the location and price, but also the atmosphere, the staff, and the opportunities that I had heard about. I have always been a student that likes to go ‘above and beyond’ and simply get more out of my day to day life, experiences, and education, so when I received an email inviting me to delve into MSU’s Honors Program, I was all over it.

​

I do firmly believe that my time spent at MNSU has been greatly impacted by this program. It has given me more of a reason to find my ‘why’ in everything that I do and keep becoming a better version of myself. I feel like many students get lost in their day to day life as busy people just trying to earn their degree, and they never really stop to think about why they are doing what they’re doing. Well, I have now learned to think more about my day-to-day purpose and to walk through experiences with more mindful thinking, and I owe it to this program. I have now learned not only how to go about pursuing outside experiences such as volunteering, extracurriculars, or research, but to also find my ‘why’ within them, reflect upon them, and carry the things I have learned within them into my future endeavors.

​

I would also like to mention how much the Honors Program has helped shape me as a critical member in today’s dynamic society. The three competencies of this program include Global Citizenship, Research, and Leadership. Throughout my time at MSNU in this program, I was challenged to pursue experiences that helped me further delve into these competencies and develop new, proficient skills in each. Having to sit and reflect upon my experiences in leadership, global citizenship, and research led me to find out who I really am as a person: my idea of my own cultural identity and challenges that different cultural groups face in America today, my roles as a leader and how I can improve on those, and how much I’ve grown in the aspect of performing and explaining research materials and carrying out experimentation. Having to defend my portfolio at the end of this semester will also greatly aid in my abilities to properly articulate my thoughts and words in an extremely professional manner, as well. I will definitely carry with me all of these skills into future schooling endeavors and the workplace someday.

​

Overall, the Honors Program at MNSU has helped me to find and appreciate my ‘why’ in almost everything that I do, and for that, I am eternally grateful!