How My (Un)Successful Undergrad Years Will Still Equal a Bright Future

I graduated number one in my high school class in Hershey, Pennsylvania. But when I arrived on the University of Pittsburgh campus, it was a different story. My National Honor Society pin somehow didn’t matter here. Neither did my Kodak Young Leader award or Salutatorian titles. I assumed the passion I had in high school would trickle into my undergraduate career, but it didn’t.

One of my first mistakes was not knowing what I wanted to major in, so I chose to follow my mother’s desire for me to be a doctor and loaded up on biology and chemistry classes. I barely survived the first semester, let alone with my customary high GPA. I kept falling into a deeper black hole, and I couldn’t find a way out.

As I struggled to improve my GPA, I tried interesting extracurricular activities. But nothing caught my interest longer than a few weeks. For three semesters I took under 15 credits, taking four courses instead of five, and drifted by, taking random classes, sleeping and partying. My once-lit fuse had gone out, and I was completely apathetic.

I finally snapped out of my funk the summer before junior year. There was no trigger, no blinding light and no epiphany. I simply decided to stop wasting my time and get focused about my future. My change was so drastic, I decided to become a triple-major. I had previously decided to major in communications and journalism and was one year away from finishing up those degree requirements when I applied to the business school and started working toward a Bachelors of Science in business administration.

Since I began on my path to reclaiming my academic sanity, I have been working overtime to get internship experience and piling on the classes to finish my three degree programs. I am currently taking 21 credits this summer while working fulltime as an online merchandising intern. It’s been a challenge to balance this work load, but I can finally see the finish line. I plan to graduate in April 2010 – my fifth year in undergrad!

It’s not easy to make up for past mistakes. But it’s possible. I joined New York Women in Communications in January and have been completely inspired by the women in the program. Last month, I worked on the programming committee to host the Diva Jazz music group at Matrix. It was an amazing experience and has added more fuel to my fire.

For all those students who feel that the pressure of success is more than they are capable of handling, remember that you only truly fail if you don’t try. That’s what I have learned in my experiences and from NYWICI. Get involved and find your passion, even if it takes you years.

~Katherine Oyegun, University of Pittsburgh ‘10