INRETROSPECT

Sarah Mae Vasquez

I used to be scared of taking risks or trying something new. I was never an adventurous type of person; I was always scared of trying. I never went out of my comfort zone; I chose not to take a road that wasn’t familiar to me. Not until I entered UE. UE gave me a lot of opportunities to improve myself and get out of my comfort zone. I did a lot of things that I never thought I would do. A lot of things about me changed as I entered UE, most of them for the better. And I’ve always been thankful to UE for that.

I don’t want to take risks because I don’t want something about me to change. I’ve always been scared of change. I don’t like the idea of change. But UE made me realize that change is inevitable and that sometimes you have to change in order to improve as a person. You can’t always be where you are; you have to grow. Before, I thought that when you change, it's a bad thing. But now I see change as part of growing. It’s not a bad thing; it’s a sign of growth.

I always thought I was better off where I was before, but now that I see myself, I see that the changes UE made have made me the best version of myself. This person is the person I always wanted to be but thought I would never be because I was too scared to get out of my comfort zone. The opportunities UE gave me shaped me into the best version of myself. I discovered things I didn’t know I loved; I found new skills and abilities that I never thought I could do. And UE was present all those times. UE was there when I was hesitant to take a step forward. I’m thankful for those people who were present all those times; I couldn't imagine where I am today without all of you. It’s a privilege to be here and to be a warrior.