Jenna (bottom left) on a trip through the Superior Hiking Trail while working as a camp counselor in Wisconsin.
Living in Florida with her three siblings, Jenna has two dogs and a handful of chickens. Before attending the University of Central Florida and majoring in nursing, she took TPS classes for around seven years before graduating in 2021 (such a long time that she can’t even remember the exact number of years). While homework would definitely not be her first option to do during her freetime, Jenna especially enjoys playing music outside of school as she is an avid violinist and pianist.
Was there anything that surprised you about TPS during your first year?
The workload and working with a deadline was something that was new to me. Before, I was purely homeschooled and my mom was my sole teacher, so there wasn’t such a thing like deadlines. After working through it though, I really loved my first year.
TPS definitely has a procrastination culture. How did that influence you?
Well, thankfully I live in a very tight knit family where we try to get assignments done earlier. However, I can definitely tell as the years went by, I started lagging. I would always submit things a day before it was due, though, in case I get stressed out.
Why did you want to get involved in clay?
My sisters and I saw it as an opportunity to share our writing and thought we might as well just participate. I chose to become a part of the Arts & Culture section during my three years with clay because there’s a wide variety of columns, articles and people you interact with, and that’s what made it special for me. As a Senior Editor, we get to make lots of weird jokes. I loved the Round Robin events; I was fortunate enough to almost be on the winning team every single time. A lot of random things during the Round Robins definitely have a spot in my heart.
Any moments where the clay staff’s grammatical problems just drove you crazy?
Oh yeah, numerous times. The problems have definitely driven me close to the breaking point at several moments. I remember running up to my mom and my sister, screaming, “They don’t use oxford commas!” Now, there are general article guidelines that outline the basic grammar mechanics so that editors won’t quit.
How did it feel like to finally graduate from TPS after seeing so many of your older friends do so before you?
Yeah, it was definitely a big step. Although it was a little funky because I graduated during the pandemic, it was filled with a lot of excitement for sure. We didn’t have an in-person graduation, so a couple of my friends and I just gathered together and celebrated. We were just talking with each other and saying things like, “Wow this is so fast, we finally survived high school and graduated!”
Why did you choose to study nursing?
My family–we’re all kind of into the medical field. My older sister, Jacey, is currently applying to med school; my parents are both doctors. However, I was not going to take the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), which is the requirement for getting into med school. For med school and such, it would take eight years post college education, but for nursing school, you just get your degree and license right after four years of studying. I also really enjoy helping others and I love the hands-on aspect of nursing, so that’s why I chose it.
Was there anything about college that you didn’t expect?
I joined the year that everything just started to become in person. I’ve never socialized this much in my life before college. Driving to school takes about forty minutes, and the campus is so huge that sometimes my classes are a mile apart. During the first week, I got so lost that I ended up walking eight miles a day. That was definitely a shocker because usually you just click, “bloop,” and get into class. What’s surprising for me was that I found out people are actually really friendly over there. I did not expect that when I first came to college. As a freshman, even though I went to one of the largest colleges in the entire world, people are eager to make friends and get to know others. I also love the diversity it provides and what you can do there– free things they give out, good places to eat, and organizations to get involved in. The best thing about a big university is that you’ll likely find someone that’s like you.
What kind of career do you wish to find in the future?
I really want to work as a medical missionary overseas and get involved in foreign aid like disaster response, search and rescue, or hospitals in rural areas where they can’t quite receive the medical care that they could’ve otherwise. So, I’m planning to go wherever God leads me.
What would you say to them, if you were to meet your TPS teachers in person?
I would probably thank them all for the challenging lessons that they’ve taught me over the years. It’s really made college somewhat a much easier experience. I’ll never forget messy potatoes, or other funny jokes that they said in class.
What advice would you give to younger students?
Make the assignments a fun activity– don’t see it as a drudgering task where you feel so weighed down by it. I found that to be one of the best ways to keep myself engaged and keep myself from procrastinating too much. Because when it becomes something fun, not only do you find yourself less stressed, you’d also find yourself doing better. Don’t be afraid to ask for help either.
Photo credits: Rosie M.