Our #MyMagisMessage for the week comes from Allison Grusha, a sophomore Cell and Molecular Biology major and Primary Healthcare and Chemistry pre-med minor!
At which service sites / community partners have you served or been a student liaison?
I have served with Carroll Reads and Building Hope in the City.
If you had to state your life mission off the top of your head, in one sentence, what would it be?
The willingness to take a chance and to make a conscious effort to make a difference in this world, no matter how big or small, is key in having the mentality that if you can dream it, you can do it.
As a sophomore student who is continuing with being remote at JCU for the spring 2021 semester, I have had a lot of time for reflection on how I have grown over this last year. I have realized looking into the eyes of adversity can be one of the most terrifying and stress-inducing experiences that can bring about feelings of loneliness and isolation. Despite our prior strengths, this fork in the road can define us by sending us down a positively constructive or devastatingly destructive pathway. Right when it appeared that my life was finally going to set sail as a transfer student, that’s when the beast of adversity showed its face. All of my excitement went down the drain with one simple email that was titled “COVID-19 Remote Student.” Disappointment emanated from every inch of my body as my finally-fulfilled college career crumbled to dust right in front of my face. Genesis 2:7 states, “And the LORD God formed man of the dust on the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” For me, dust doesn’t indicate the end for us, but often has to be present for the new to begin within us. This was when I was faced with two different paths to walk down. One path was to retreat into the all-consuming darkness with isolation clawing at my aspirations, which was bellowing "You’re going to accomplish absolutely nothing." The other contained a spark of light in the darkness, which although meek, was the catalyst for my perseverance. Although harder to walk down, I saw the potential in the spark of light to fuel the fire within me, so I chose to walk down that path without hesitation and never gave up, lost track, or faltered once.
Instead of getting devoured in the tedium that each day presented while being a remote student, I decided to take a step back and evaluate the scenario from an objective standpoint to see the best way that I can blossom. Amidst the isolation, I was able to respark treasured relationships with people in my past that helped me grow and develop into the strong woman I am today. I was accepted into a philanthropic sorority that is full of powerful women that not only are people I can rely on, but people that make me into a better me. I gained a deep value in connection, no matter how big or small, and reached out to my peers in my classes and that soon became friends. I was elected for leadership positions that I hold close to my heart. I was able to serve others by tutoring students to help aid them in their own academic journey. And most importantly, I never stopped dreaming.
As a future physician, my main deep-rooted desire as a leader is to help others and live by acts of service, which has always been one of the most important factors of my life. There is nothing better to me than seeing a smile on the face of a child or the spark of joy in an older person’s eyes. I am the type of person that enjoys bringing people together, whether it is to accomplish a task or hosting a social gathering to have fun. There are many social and community problems that need to be addressed and it is our responsibility as young Americans to help by solving social issues here in our country, as well as the world. All these activities and experiences have given me the foundation and confidence to continue to build myself into a community leader who is an extremely motivated person that is well known for being optimistic and enthusiastic. I look forward to walking down the path that God has laid out for me, and the ability to reflect on how I have grown this time next year.