I’m terminally antisocial. Most people wouldn’t believe that, but I’ve spent a lot of time, over twenty years to be exact, in my head. Trust me, I am. To combat this, for the past six or seven years, I’ve committed to something that’s helped me, extracurriculars. I was a homeschool student for 7th and 8th grade, and then during my first year of high school, I encountered an explosion of social interaction. Returning to a brick and mortar school, I smiled and chatted during school hours then shut down at 3:09pm. That all changed in my sophomore year when my two best friends forced me to join the drama club and choir.
Fast forward past late nights at school for various shows and events; I found myself as a freshman in college. I was on the iCav Step Team from my freshman year into the fall semester of my sophomore year. I then transferred my extra time to the Philosophy Club, which I am now the president of, but I think what really helped me cope with my antisocial nature was my decision to get my first job at Cabrini.
Becoming a student fellow for the Cruisers LC was one of the best decisions I could’ve ever made. It gave me my first job experience ever (meaning resumes and interviews) and piqued my interest in other jobs on campus. Currently, I’m a fellow, a Navigate Leader, a tutor in the Writing Center, a classroom coach for a philosophy course with Dr. Cimakasky, and now a student blogger. Each of these jobs at Cabrini encourages me to step beyond my comfort zone and reach out to people I never would’ve known existed.
My people skills have been challenged and honed. To think that my current schedule could have looked like my high school schedule from freshman year is unimaginable. I’m regularly engaging with people outside of my immediate family and friend circle every day in some capacity; I’m grateful for that. To add, this is especially valuable to me because I’m a commuter, and I’ve shown, like many of my other commuter friends who are active on campus, that you can still enjoy the full college experience even if you’re not a resident.
Yes, I’m terminally antisocial. I’m still a major homebody and identify as an ambivert who prefers to recharge alone. But, just because you’re naturally inclined to be something doesn’t mean you have to let it become a weakness. Don’t work for it or against it, work with it.