I have gone to many of the Rose Buzz table talks now, but this one was definitely unique. The stories of Dr. Sean Nicholson and Mr. Jason Hungerford were truly inspiring and I appreciated their willingness to share details about their lives and how they got to where they are now. The talk today was much more personal and I found myself inspired by the stories they shared, in part because I could relate strongly to certain parts and seeing how they made the most of it made me want to do the same. Mr. Hungerford’s work with cancer resource centers, mental health advocacy groups, and right advocacy groups had me wondering if there was a way I could become involved in the community this summer while I am in Ithaca. His note on isolation due to covid was incredibly perceptive; I too have noticed that people seem to have become more aware of their mental health, for better or worse. I wonder where this will lead in the future, both individually as we return to in-person living and as a whole regarding societal stigmas.

I was also reminded of how important it was to set small tangible goals so that I am satisfied by progress; I learned about this trick last year in my psych class but I forgot about it until now. As my plans are not going to be achieved any time soon, this will be important for me as I move forward. On the note of the future, Dr. Nicholson’s comments were also relevant to my life right now; I have been set on a specific career for a while, and have not really considered other paths, even though my goal is almost impossible to obtain immediately out of college. Perhaps I will combine all of the ideas from today today and, while I will still pursue this goal, I can pick up a few fun secondary jobs along the way to help me explore my options and cope with the stress of my primary work.