Reed Writes In
Dear Will’s Place,
Greetings from Marquette University! Will’s Place has remained in my heart and thoughts, even as I have moved to Wisconsin in order to attend college. I am very excited to begin sharing my higher-education experience with you by way of the Will’s Place newsletter! About a month ago, when I painted two hanging ornaments during a Friday community night about a month ago, Jill Murphy remarked that they would be good to hang in my dorm. As you can see (right), I took her advice. Although one of the ornaments has fallen down (oops), the other one is pretty and adds color to the room! And what a room it is, too: I have an amazing view of Milwaukee, where Marquette is located, from my window (center). So far, I have been able to make the acquaintance of my RA (Resident Advisor), Jackson; Residence Hall Director Monica; and the hall minister, Rachel. Each of them has been lovely, and it is gratifying to know that they are all available if I need help!
After moving in, I attended a number of university events in order to try and meet people. Walking through campus to go to these also helped me build a mental map of the campus, which has more recently helped me find my classes. One important event I attended was a welcome party for students who, like me, are in the College of Communications; I got to check out a lot of interesting clubs, and I was able to connect with the Director of Student Media about joining the university newspaper. (Interesting fact: Marquette’s Communications alumni include Danny Pudi of DuckTales and Community fame!) My favorite university event so far, however, has been a boat tour of Milwaukee, where we sailed down the river that runs through the city. Milwaukee has more mechanical bridges than I ever before realized; at the beginning, we kept having to wait for the bridges to be raised so our ship could get through. Once, a bridge operator was having trouble bringing the bridge up and needed to get help from someone else. I guess I can thank my lucky stars that, whatever pressures I might face during a shift at Will’s Place, the mobility of a huge ship full of passengers has never rested on me.
Many of the people I have begun to make friends with are part of Marquette’s On Your Marq neurodiversity support program. As part of that program, I have also been assigned a peer mentor, Molly, who will keep in touch with me and be available to hang out with me on campus. She and I met at a recent OYM social event, and I have found her to be very friendly and helpful! Even better, I know a couple of other students here from grade school and high school, and I am comforted to know that I can reach out and connect with them. I’ve also begun meeting with Riley, my Executive Functioning coach in On Your Marq. She will help me figure out my schedule, move forward on assignments, and generally stay on track academically. Now that classes have begun, suffice it to say that I definitely appreciate having Rachel in my corner!
So far in this column, I have tried to mainly emphasize the positive elements of my college experience, but I do not want to ignore the struggles I have encountered here. All of a sudden, I have been placed at a certain distance from the routines, locations and individuals who have thusfar been familiar to me, including my friends at Will’s Place. During the lead-up to college, I was always stressed about the transition to come; since arriving, especially during my first couple of days on campus, I have felt alone, homesick, and disorientated by my new environment and instructors. As I mentioned, I have been able to meet some new people. But putting myself out there has been intimidating, and building the kind of friendships I have in Skokie takes time. Paradoxically, during Orientation week, I think feeling the need to make new friends could intensify my homesickness. I was sometimes acutely aware that I was physically far away from those to whom I was emotionally close, while I did not know the people around me very well.
Throughout the beginning of this year, it has been helpful for me to remain in touch with my immediate family, individuals at Will’s Place, and old friends from high school who are now at different universities. Keeping those ties has comforted and anchored me, and the supportive words I have received from people back home have made a positive difference in my experience. This support, as well as the simple passage of time, has allowed me to acclimate, by degrees, to my new surroundings. In the context of moving to college, a quote from the philosopher Lao Tzu resonates with me: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” I have already begun my journey to make Marquette a home for myself, and I feel confident that, step by step, I will find myself more comfortable than I was at the beginning of the year.
I look forward to sharing further details about life and academics at Marquette. According to our website, an ‘80s Day is coming up at Will’s Place, and I am, shall we say, eager to see what that looks like! Plus, I would love to know what the Sunday Skokie Farmers’ Market is like now that I’m not working there every week. But, in the meantime, I extend my best wishes to the whole Will’s Place family, and my hopes that everyone reading this has a wonderful Labor Day.
Until next time,
Reed Larson-Erf