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Despite my second year of college being anything but typical, I have learned a lot about perseverance and how this skill will serve me well in my future career in the business field. Due to COVID-19, three of my four classes were virtual this fall. This was a major adjustment for me and one that, candidly, I struggled with.

I pride myself on being a highly motivated and ambitious student, and I am enrolled in a dual degree program in the Pompea College of Business. Still, the COVID-19 restrictions left me feeling drained and burned out. While it is nice to be able to be “in class” anywhere, I long for the normalcy of attending class in person. With that said, I am still very grateful to live and be on campus.

Along with my full course load, I have also started interning at as a program development intern. While my entire experience at the nonprofit has been virtual, I am still able to contribute heavily to the organization. Through my internship, I create and work on an ESL curriculum and cultivate the connections between tutors and students. In fact, I am an ESL tutor myself. Twice a week, I tutor an Afghani refugee to help her improve her English. On a daily basis, I work for about an hour a day and have a weekly meeting with the other staff members.

Tackling the world virtually has certainly made an impact on my life, and I have been able to reflect on how it has affected me and my lifestyle. Being able to persevere this semester is something I am very proud of and it has allowed me look into the future.

For several months, I have worked with the other executive board members to create a Women in Business Club for the University of New Haven. We facilitated the process necessary to become a registered student organization on campus. I am very fortunate to be a part of the club’s conception, and I am extremely excited for what the future holds for the club.

As I seek a summer internship, begin planning events for our new club, work for Elena’s Light, and finish my courses this semester, I always keep one word in the forefront of my mind: persevere.

Olivia Jimenez ’23 is an international business management major at the University of New Haven.