Everyone has had them: moments when things have gone wrong partly because of our own lack of experience or perspective. In this new series of posts, I'm asking members of the UMBC community to reflect on their own 'super human' moments.
Name: Faryal Khalid
Q: What is your current title (job or student organization position)?
A: I am a designer at Commonvision, Leadership Consultant, Secretary of the Commuter Student Association and an SGA Sustainability Intern. I am also on the Art Staff of Bartleby and do some design work for different student organizations. I enjoy all these so very much.
Q: In 12 words or less, what role(s) do you play on campus?
A: Encourage student leadership and school spirit through creative design work.
Q: What title would you give your Super Human Moment?
A: Big, Scary Decisions and Life-altering Paths
Q: What happened?
A: I entered UMBC as a chemical engineering major, only because my family has a background in science. I had no real interest in the content and no passion for the field. I was doing it because that is the only thing i knew about and its comfortable to stay with what you know. But, how long can you force yourself to study something that you have no interest in whatsoever. I found out, the answer the hard way- not for a very long time.
My sophomore year (first semester), I was a very unhappy person. I left my job, all my extra curricular activities and stopped paying attention to my schoolwork. It was not because I didn't care about my education and didn't want to do things, but because I had no motivation to go sit through another class of material I didn't really care about. My grades started dropping and I kept falling down this deep tunnel of disappointment. I realized before long that something had to be done. I couldn't let things go on like that. So I talked to a couple people. I got various forms of advice but there were two things that stuck with me:
"This is the time to be brave because you don't want to spend the rest of your life saying "I wish"..."
If you can't do this for 4 years, how are you going to be able to do it for the next 40 years.
I realized I had to explore different areas to see what was the best fit for me. I had to write my own story and I had to find out who I was first. I took a whole bunch of classes and realized that I wanted to study graphic design.
The next big step was telling my parents about this switch and I was very scared about how they might feel. I told them and was ready for a blast of questions, but my parents just smiled at me and told me I should do what makes me happy. The following week I met with an advisor, turned in my portfolio for review and got accepted to the Visual Arts program. I have to say I have never been happier. I can be stuck in a studio for hours working and I still enjoy every bit of it. A lot of people might not understand why it was such a big deal, but for me it was an inner battle that I had to wage. My grades are good once again; I am very involved in campus life and I lead a productive life. This experience taught me how to overcome my internal barriers and how to make some very important decisions, even when they're difficult ones. It also showed me how important a support system is for a person and how one should never hesitate to reach out to family, teachers and friends for help.
Q: How have you applied what you learned?
A: I try to continually analyze my personal growth and development. I have realized that challenges shouldn't be avoided but welcomed because it is the hardships that really shape a person. Things might not always go as planned but it is important to change plans and be caught up in the direction life is leading you. I have not always been the most extroverted person but I am trying to work on that by being a part of different student organizations, participating in leadership retreats both as a participant and coach. As a designer, I have done numerous internships and I'm trying to get as much experience in the field as I can. I interact with numerous people and do different kinds of things and I'm constantly learning one thing or the other. This helps me grow a little more as an individual everyday.
Q: Do you have any advice you can pass along to others?
A: If you do what you love, you will not have to work for a single day in your life. Open yourself up to different experiences and embrace your individuality because you should be the only one writing your story.
