By Saxon Bryant, Fellow Class of 2017
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
Challenges come in several forms, large and small. Capstone papers, club projects, research meetings, obtuse classes and more are just a handful of the hurdles students like myself face every day. During my third year, my goal has been to avoid starvation without a meal plan and not start a kitchen fire in my dorm. Yet, the most difficult obstacle has been finding more time to complete everything and getting the right support and motivation. In the middle of all this adversity, it is incredibly easy to adopt a survivor mindset. Keep your head down. Focus on the next assignment, then the next, then the next, and before you know it the year is over. My time in college has been filled with periods where intense focus was required. But the downside of this mentality is all it takes away from you. You lose perspective on yourself and your positive experiences. Without a clear grasp around your motivations and passions, the daily grind will turn into just that: a grind. The best way I have found to retain the passion which drove me to college in the first place is to change my environment. In my room, I keep small tokens which remind me of where I am from. A postcard from a family friend congratulating me on graduation, a picture of my younger brother, these items help me find the personal strength to stay smiling even in difficult moments. Finding ways to escape the all-encompassing stress of college, physically or mentally, is the only way to continue to survive and thrive both now and in the high stress world of law school to come.
This year I was fortunate enough to help run a Model United Nations conference in Beijing. Months of planning came to fruition in the form of a 15-hour flight and 10 days of unforgettable experiences. The only reason I survived long enough to make it to the Great Wall was because I was able to stay motivated during the weeks of seminars and work shifts beforehand. Life is about finding victory through adversity and overcoming these challenges — big and tiny — we face every day.
Perhaps the biggest victory has been the constant guidance and mentorship my LSYWC mentors have provided me. From navigating internships to planning for graduate school and fellowships, my mentors have provided me with invaluable advice, guidance, and jokes. The future is very uncertain right now, not only in terms of COVID-19 but also the future of our economy and country. In these moments of academic, personal, and professional uncertainty, having a support network of scholars and mentors who I can rely on has become more important than ever before.
