Sophia Llamas Stays True and Authentic Despite Nerves

Hello prospective BGSU student! My name is Sophia Llamas and I am currently first year at BG. I am in the Honors College, I’m an Alumni Laureate Scholar, and I am majoring in Graphic Design. However, originally I’m from North Canton, Ohio which is about 2 and a half hours from Bowling Green, near Akron, and I graduated from Hoover High School in 2018. Today I’m writing this letter to let you know you about my first semester here at BG, but instead of the typical “here’s what I accomplished” speech, I am going to elaborate on how I felt throughout the whole process. Between last year, as a senior in high school, when I was nervously touring college campuses, to where I’m am here today, my preconceived ideas of certain aspects of college have changed entirely. This letter will expose some of the fears I had entering college and hopefully calm some of your nerves concerning what college is really about.

After being accepted to Bowling Green in August 2017 I devoted a lot of time towards applying to the Honors College. I remember writing, then rewriting, millions of essays, and I’m sure you have had a similar experience to get get you where you are today. I don’t know about you, but I remember my college visits and listening to accomplished students speak being a bit overwhelming! I listened to multiple upperclassmen talk about all the internships they’ve participated in throughout their years at BG, every amazing opportunity they’ve had to expand their learning within their majors, and the millions of little activities or clubs they’re involved in around campus. While listening to those speakers I remember thinking to myself that those achievements seem so far away. I worried myself envisioning my future here at BG, wondering how exactly I would go about finding internships, or if I would discover activities that I enjoy on campus. The students speaking to us told us not to worry; that everything would fall into place throughout our time here. But what I was missing was understanding what would take place between my first steps onto campus as a student, to graduating in 2022 with all those internships and experiences under my belt.

Today, as I write this, it is only the fifth day in my second semester here at Bowling Green. This means I only have one semester’s worth of experiences to write about. However, that semester was filled with events I would have never expected to have happen to me so early in my college career. Within my first semester I applied, and was accepted, to be an honors ambassador, I interviewed for two really awesome graphic design internships, one of which I was chosen for and will intern with this semester, and I auditioned to become a tour guide, which I also was accepted for and will begin training for this weekend. Now, like I mentioned earlier I’m sure you may be getting a bit overwhelmed listening to me, just as I did last year when I listened to the Scholar Day speakers rattle on about everything they’ve accomplished. However, I want you to understand that these accomplishments are so much more within reach than you may think. I didn’t scramble around and research every little thing I could to find the tour guide position or the internships I applied for. The honest truth is that all of these opportunities were ones that I either stumbled across randomly, or were brought to my attention by my professors.

The internship I did not get was with Bowling Green Dining’s marketing team, which I only discovered because I follow the Dining Hall’s instagram so I can see food they’re serving for lunch, and the other internship was brought to my attention by one of my professors who put in a good word for me. I’m an honors ambassador now as well because the friends I have made through the Honors College encouraged me to apply with them, and I’m a tour guide for the same reasons! These are things I never would’ve gone searching for my first semester, but simply by being myself and involving myself within the Honors College and on campus in general, these opportunities presented themselves to me, and even though they seemed daunting, I figured “why not apply for them?” If someone would have told me one year ago that by my second semester I would have an internship, an on campus job, and would be frequently volunteering within the Honors College, I would have been terrified and stressed out of my mind trying to find where those opportunities would come from. But honestly by being my authentic self and making a good impression with my wonderful honors professors, and by being engaged and staying open to things that may be out of my comfort zone, it seems as if these opportunities came looking for me!

Towards the end of my first semester I got to talking with my Honors advisor about how crazy it is that within these first four months here I have accomplished so much. As I reflected on the semester, I told her how I scared I felt towards the beginning of the year, and how out of reach those achievements felt, until throughout the semester they slowly began to just fall into place. I explained that some of those upperclassmen speakers I’ve listened to are amazing but intimidating and I wish I could have heard from someone a little bit younger, closer to my age describe there time here at Bowling Green. That’s when I was offered another exciting opportunity; to write a letter to help calm the nerves of people like you!

I hope my letter had relieved some of the fears or concerns you may have about your time spent here at Bowling Green. My advice to you is to not be afraid to put yourself out there. Stay true to your authentic self. If you come across an opportunity, and it’s interesting it feels right to you, go for it! There is nothing holding you back. If there’s one thing I’ve learned since being here at Bowling Green and being a part of the Honors College it’s that we are surrounded by extraordinary people; students, professors, roommates, that want nothing more than for us to succeed.

Good luck with the rest of college search, wherever it is that you may end up!

Best,
Sophia Llamas
Class of 2022
Email: llamass@bgsu.edu