After my first year at Amherst College, I learned a hard but necessary lesson: rest is not optional. In a place where productivity often felt like a badge of honor, slowing down seemed countercultural. But during my second year, I began to embrace a different rhythm—one that prioritized rest and reflection. It wasn’t easy at first, but choosing to slow down gave me space to be more intentional with my time and decisions. It also propelled me to become a better student because I was able to implement better habits based on resting. This shift didn’t just improve my habits and academic performance; it reshaped how I approached decisions, including the biggest one looming ahead: what to do after graduation.
As someone who loves to plan and strategize, thinking about life after college was overwhelming. I had career goals, but choosing a specific path felt daunting. The possibilities were exciting, yet the pressure to make the “right” decision weighed heavily on me. One day, while talking to a professor about my uncertainty, he offered a simple piece of advice:
“Just think about it as your next step.”
At first, it felt dismissive. How could something so important be reduced to just a “next step?” But the more I sat with his words, the more they began to shift my perspective. I realized I didn’t need to have everything figured out. I just needed to take the next step that felt true to me.
After all, deciding what to do next did not feel like a great challenge. As usual, I sat down and gave myself a chance to reflect on what I had accomplished and where I wanted to go next without thinking too far ahead. This allowed me to condense all the different options that I had set out for myself. Then I chose what I wanted to do, which was give back to my community and be closer to my family. So, I decided to pursue an opportunity that aligned perfectly with both my passions—giving back to my community and staying close to family—by applying to El Pomar’s Fellowship.
In hindsight, I’ve come to understand that learning to rest wasn’t merely about slowing my pace, it was about creating room to hear my own voice, to pause and reflect, and to move forward with intention. That shift in perspective helped guide me through one of the most pivotal choices I’ve ever made, reminding me that the next move doesn’t need to be flawless, it just needs to be authentic. Choosing to join El Pomar’s Fellowship wasn’t simply a professional decision; it was a meaningful step in the deliberate life I’ve been shaping, one thoughtful moment at a time.
