I realized today that it has been exactly two months since I moved from Phoenix, Arizona to San Diego, California to start my journey as a first-year doctoral student in the SOLES Leadership Studies program at USD. Needless to say, everything is new, from where I live to where I work, but I have found that there is something thrilling about jumping into the unknown.

It is now week 3 of working in the Office of Admissions and Outreach as a graduate assistant and my responsibilities are fairly vast, spanning from meeting with prospective students to discuss specific SOLES programs to managing social media content. I also have the opportunity to lead our Ambassadors Program to connect current students to prospective students which, in my opinion, is fabulous. What better insight could an incoming student receive than to converse with someone who has gone before him/her? 

I am excited for what is to come in the next few months. The campus, much like a hibernating bear waking up after a long winter, is slowly coming to life. The growing number of students hustling and bustling from one office to the next to take care of a long list of to-dos is a strong indicator that the academic year is right around the corner. There is great anticipation of meeting new people and building relationships, discovering what classes will challenge my current way of thinking and exploring opportunities to teach and travel. I hope that as the year unfolds, you will eagerly await new posts from our SOLES contributors (student ambassadors, faculty, staff and alumni) who will share their experiences, thoughts and ideas with you.