as a part of our ecology lab, we went out in groups of four to the greenway to observe what animals we could see. one of the girls in the group was saying how she applied to 16 different medical schools. i asked her what her first choice was and she said duke. she also said she’s been denied from a few schools already, but at the same time she has been accepted to others as well. i asked what her gpa was. she has a 4.0 gpa, and got a 515 on the mcat. in my mind i’m thinking who tf is denying her?? that’s top tier academic status. 15 minutes later, she gets a call. it’s duke and they told her she’s been accepted into their medical program. the whole group was so excited for her!! her face turned bright red, and she began to cry a little as she stepped away for a few minutes. it meant so much to her, you could just tell. she had worked her whole life for this moment, and all the blood, sweat, and tears paid off. we were all so hyped. although duke is a dream school of mine, too, i couldn’t imagine reacting in the same manner she did. academics just don’t mean as much to me, and i believe that’s okay, too. it made me realize two things. one, dreams are more about execution than aspiration, and two, academics may never lead me to the promiseland of fulfillment.
my life feels like it’s been at a crossroad for years now, but come summer, i’ll be making a decision as to which path i’ll be taking.
-ratha, 6:33pm, 2.12.20