BIG DECISION THAT CHANGED MY LIFE. LOH Prompt #264

Hello everyone. I posted in the Ladies of Hive community for the first time last week, and I think I’ll make time to write on the prompts every week. I’m strongly encouraged by my friend to stay active. This week’s prompt is truly a good one.

My life changed in the last academic session, and I will tell you how.

In my first year in the university, I subconsciously made a resolution to focus on my primary assignment: my academics. I stayed away from all sorts of extracurricular activities, including mooting, which is important for law students. I didn’t attend campus fellowships. During lectures, I sat with the only friends I had, just two of them. Immediately after lectures, I rushed back to the hostel and remained there till the next day. I didn’t attend school events of any kind, rarely volunteered for any program, and never raised my hand in class to attempt a question. I was almost like a ghost. This was a bit ironic because I’m nothing close to an introvert. I’m extremely extroverted, but for that season, I just didn’t want to be seen. I lacked confidence.

In my second year, I made a resolution to allow my personality to show and become more like myself. I started working on it immediately. I started talking to more people and engaging in more activities. But it wasn’t monumental. My circle barely expanded, but I still didn’t put myself out there. I was scared. Scared of embarrassment, of being cringe, and of failure.

Towards the end of the session, the announcement of the faculty’s election was made. It was at that moment I made the biggest decision. I marched to the faculty on a bright Monday afternoon, straight to the desk of the Secretary to the Dean, picked up a form, filled it out, attached all the necessary documents, and submitted it. I was contesting for the office of Director of Communications I of the Law Students’ Society. I wasn’t unopposed. My opponent had more chances of victory than I did. He was a much more popular coursemate. I didn’t let that deter me. I was determined. However, the election didn’t happen as expected. The faculty administration decided to make appointments instead. The list of the newly appointed executive members was announced during the holiday. My messages flooded with congratulations from my friends. That was how I became the new Director of Communications.

The office required me to be at the helm of all the faculty’s activities. I was constantly releasing publications with my name plastered on them, on group chats where I had never said a word before. I also had to create content during events and post them. I was active. And that wasn’t the only position I held. I was also the Director of Media and Publicity for the Intellectual Property Club. More people knew me. I made more connections with students and even staff. I felt more alive than I ever had since my first year. It was me, who I really was, all coming into the light. I couldn’t walk a ten-minute distance in school without bumping into someone I knew. It was also the year I took content creation for my personal brand seriously, so it was the icing on the cake.

This boosted my confidence in a way I never imagined. I no longer cowered in the crowd. I walked into every room with my head held high. Nobody was too scary for me to speak to. I approached my lecturers with grace. Because my offices required a lot of public appearances, my stage presence improved to the point that I hosted several school events. The accolades I received made me ask myself why I had been hiding for so long.

The highlight was the love I received from my fellow students, especially my juniors. They sent messages of admiration, gratitude, and encouragement. It felt so good to be seen and loved. For someone who battled with low self-esteem for the longest time, it was wholesome to see people admire the things I once hated about myself. At the end of the session, my name was included in the acknowledgments of several final-year students. It might seem immaterial, but being a part of someone’s journey in a tangible way is sweeter than honey. At the end of the tenure, I was elected Vice President of the Law Students’ Society, Deputy Chairperson of the Intellectual Property Club, and Publicity Manager of the Creative Writers’ Club. In all these rigours, my grades didn’t falter.

If a new university student asked for advice, I would tell them to be more involved. University is not restricted to learning within the four walls of the classroom. It’s about interacting with people from different backgrounds. It’s an avenue to hone skills and develop new ones. It affords the opportunity to meet new people and enter new territories. It’s beautiful. I would make that decision again without a second though

Thank you for reading 🤍
If you’d like to connect or collaborate, feel free to reach out on Instagram:
🔗 @estella.

Grace. Growth. Greatness. ✨