Adventure beckons after college years end

  Jennifer Yuen As the 2000-01 assistant
design director who is forever torn between design and photo, Yuen
packs a psych degree and anthro minor to help her go abroad after
graduation.

It’s quite strange to think that I checked the box on my
college application next to “UCLA,” on a whim.

At one point, I had imagined UCLA to exist beyond my reach.
However, since I set foot onto the once overwhelming Westwood
campus, I have discovered nothing but unique interests and
opportunities, people from different walks of life and
thought-provoking issues.

At the beginning, I had an overdose of options of what do on
campus, leaving me confused. Gradually, I waded through this. And
years later, the world tempts me to expand on my college
experiences and continue exploring.

I’ve finished my four years, now what? I am relieved that
there will be no more cramming for midterms, hauling my backpack up
Bruin Walk in 80-degree weather, or refuting stringent parking
regulations. But with graduation looming over me, I wonder how
lucrative a career as a professional student will be in next
year’s job market.

For the past year I’ve been driving myself mad deciding
what direction to go after June. However, to spare my sanity, I
concluded that there’s no shame in rejecting the nine-to-five
job.

I don’t want to subject myself to a desk with an
overflowing supply of pens and legal pads. Nor do I want to
encounter daily morning traffic, clutching a cup of coffee in one
hand and frantically waving at drivers to let me merge with the
other.

I would much rather buy a plane ticket and just go. There are
plenty of corners in the world for me to uncover. Why
shouldn’t I choose the non-traditional path and exercise my
creative freedom? According to St. Augustine, “the world is a
book and those who stay at home read only one page.”

Meanwhile, college has nudged at me to lose my fear and seek out
the unknown. Curiosity has always been my guide. It’s a trait
that breeds innovation and adventure, a desire to see and
experience new things that inspire the senses.

I also realize that all the things that I relished during my
childhood influence my true passions now. It has propelled me to
embrace my childhood and family, and take that leap to expand my
point of view in life.

I’m thankful for all my experiences at UCLA and for all
the support from my family and friends. Who knows where I would
have been if I hadn’t impulsively checked that box for UCLA
on my application.

The world is open and waiting. It’s my turn.