Hello, I am Brittany.
My academic career has been somewhat episodic. Straight
after I graduated High School, I had one very successful but short-lived
semester at Oklahoma State University where I felt my first taste of unbridled
freedom after a sheltered upbringing, unhealthily underexposed to the outside
world. Due to extenuating circumstances, I had to withdraw the following
spring. With my 4.0 GPA, some unpaid tuition, and a mental
album of memories I entered the workforce unready but willing to work off my
debt and save enough money to return to college of my own accord. Three long
years later, after too many menial, minimum wage jobs I was enrolled once
again. As much as I harbored regret and shame about how long it took me to get
here, I learned a hard lesson about responsibility and have come
out the other side with a sense of pride. The hardships were a heavy dose of
reality, but the silver lining is that I am now currently a senior here at The University of Oklahoma. After switching my major multiple times, I settled on
the College of Classics and Letters. Letters is an interdisciplinary degree of
sorts focusing on history, literature (classics, linguistics, English),
philosophy (political science, religious studies), and languages (both modern
and ancient) as described by the Letters academics webpage:
The
program’s original purpose was to instill a deeper appreciation of the major
movements of Western civilization. By studying the important and characteristic
achievements of the human mind from Greco-Roman antiquity to the modern era,
students come to understand and appreciate the ideas and principles that form
the basis of their own culture […] The program is based upon the assumption
that cultivated intelligence, good judgment, and artistic expression in speech
and writing are desirable in and for themselves.
This major perfectly suits my interests in people and ideas.
A famous statement by the great thinker Socrates’ says that “the unexamined life is not worth living,” or in other words— the human experience is not one
that is meant to be subjected to boundaries, whether that be in thought or in
practice. Without self-discovery, existential analysis, and the abandonment of presuppositions
influenced by personal aspirations and values, one would be engaging in life
with blinders on. I feel as though Socrates’ credo fits my personal, academic,
and occupational goals of merging logic and reasoning with sensitivity to the
essence of human nature.
I have a hushed demeanor outwardly, but an analytical, open,
idealistic inward disposition. I am a true INFJ (according to the Myer’s
Brigg’s personality test): a passionate and determined idealist, but a
perfectionist to a fault with a need to always be working in harmony with a fixed
vision lest I get burnt out. I have an endlessly creative, talented twin sister
who is my built-in best friend, cheerleader, monkey-see-monkey-do, and the second scoop to my double-dip ice-cream
cone. We are identical but we march to the beat of very
individual drums. Twinhood has had an enormous impact on my identity. There are definitely more pros than cons but as my sister has once said “it puts a new edge on “being
number one,"" and has sharpened my competitive edge. However, to
sidestep this tangent let me conclude by saying that I do like being ‘me.’
Who am I? Well, I enjoy platforms like Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram and
streaming sites like Netflix and Hulu like every other millennial. I also have
an interest in interior design and art (crafts, sculpture, sketch, painting). I
am a cat person with a calico kitty named Kindred. She is a super quirky cat
who chirps more than she meows. I grew up on country music (Shania Twain, Alan
Jackson), but have come to love music of all types. I have a guilty pleasure
for all things animation (classic Disney movies for sure- Pocahontas and Snow
white are my favorites). I prefer nonfiction to fiction reads. I try to be socially conscious and politically involved (I have strong opinions about rising social and economic inequality). I strive on being tidy and I am a total “Monica” (“Friends” fans,
anyone? Seriously, my closet is color-coded). I am hugely sentimental and
overly observant. And if it hasn’t already been obvious, I am also extremely wordy
as this longer than expected introduction exemplifies. This post has reached
essay lengths, so this is where I wrap this up. Please enjoy my posts but don’t
take my written musings too seriously!
(Image Source: Graphic made by me, SumoPaint Photo Editor)
