There is a lot of weight placed on college as a formative life experience. A lot can happen in four years. Maybe you gain new friends, or lose them, pick up a new hobby, go through a heartbreak, or just feel like you know yourself a little better. Whatever it is, it changes the way you think and becomes part of you.
The Loco Staff decided to reflect on some of our ‘then and now’ moments since starting college. So without further ado, here is how some of our staff has changed throughout the years:
Danita:
I’ve definitely changed a lot since starting at Arcadia. I did online schooling from 7th grade onwards, so I didn’t really have a “normal” school experience. I had a lot of issues advocating for myself and generally just dealt with a lot on my own. I don’t have everything figured out but I’ve really come into my own since then and I’m excited to grow more!
Ryan:
Change is scary. While looking back at my first year of college, I think a lot about all of the different paths I saw. So much of my life at that point had been dictated by expectations, and I guess it took a global pandemic to break free from that. Four years and a beard later, I’ve changed quite a bit. I’m living the way that I want to, and not taking a second of it for granted. However, my feelings towards change have also changed. I no longer fear it the way I once did, instead I look forward to it and the new opportunities it brings. I’m happy with where I am, and I’m excited for where I’ll go.
Claire:
My first picture is at age 18, some months before high school graduation, and my second picture is at age 23. I don’t think I’ve ever done a ‘then and now’ photo set like this and it’s super weird! The clear difference in these photos is just the BAC but when I look at these two versions of myself I see the past five years all at once which gives me the chills. I didn’t end up at Arcadia until I was 20 but I’ve changed a lot, even since then. You can also see that I got hotter and less messy which is true about my life in general!
Jake:
As a person, I think I’ve changed a lot since the first picture was taken in 2019. Maybe not so much appearance wise, but since then I came out in 2020 and really started to get more comfortable with who I am as a person and more confident. I also figured out what I wanted to do career-wise. I started at Arcadia as a business major and after three semesters realized I hated business and wanted to pursue a career in journalism via a media and communications major.
Jewel:
My first photo was taken just after my drive through, socially-distanced high school graduation in 2020. Not much has changed appearance-wise, but two or so years of college has forced me to grow into myself in ways I could not have foreseen. Since breaking out of the high school mold I have been able to take more risks and get more involved in things that make me happy. I’ve also finally made a serious commitment to improving my mental health, which has been difficult but worth it. Mostly, I think what’s changed is that I feel more excited about where the future will take me and all of the things I’d like to do.
Livia:
The first picture is from my first year at Arcadia which was online and not very enjoyable. The second picture is from my birthday this year. One thing that’s changed is now I’m a lot more sure about what I want to do in the future.
Sierra:
The first photo was from my high school graduation in 2019. I had no clue what I wanted to do in the future and I know I hated one thing… school. I never tried in high school, I barely showed up. I was a straight C student and I was fine with that. The second photo is me now, a senior at Arcadia. I never thought I’d get to be a senior in college, I never thought I would be able to get this far with my anxiety and and my hatred for school. I eventually learned to love the little things in life and actually decided to try in school. I’m really proud of where I am now and all the struggles I’ve accomplished throughout the journey:)
