By Hannah Derleth
To say a lot can change in just over a year would be an understatement for sophomore, Hannah Derleth. But, of course, there were plenty of lessons to be learned in the chaos.
From left to right: senior Honors student Alaina Halsey, sophomore Honors student Hannah Derleth, and senior Allison Cavallone gather at the Scramble Light on Children's Health Day. All three women serve on Dance Marathon's Marketing and Communications committee together.
Hey there — I’m back.
Last year, I wrote an article about what being in Honors meant to me. I told you all I was a journalism and marketing double major, and how much I love writing and “sharing my gifts,” as my mother says.
Well, plans changed — imagine that.
I realized that, if I wanted to make money right away, journalism wasn’t going to be the way to do it. Being financially independent and comfortable is one of my biggest goals post-graduation, and the few journalists I know are barely hitting the average mark. I’m also learning that I can’t be everywhere and do everything, so I dialed back on the quantity of things I’m involved in (such as Student Honors Council), and instead, have focused on the quality of my efforts in groups to make sure I’m giving 100% of myself.
I’m happy to say that I am simply a marketing major now, with double minors in economics and professional writing. I am the communications coordinator and traffic manager for McKinley Avenue Agency (formerly known as Unified Media Advertising and Creative Agency), so I am working with both my major and student media. Can you say best of both worlds? I’m also the subcommittee leader for Marketing for BSU Dance Marathon, and I absolutely love what I do and my fellow committee members. Lastly, over the summer, I worked at State Farm as their marketing and customer service intern, while filling my evenings by teaching seven piano students.
Busy? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.
I’ve learned a lot about myself by jumping into things head first. I’ve learned a lot about time management, how to balance a social life with academics, and why it’s important to put yourself out there, no matter how terrifying it might be. Had I not jumped in head first, none of the aforementioned titles or positions would be a reality for me. But here I am, leading groups and unifying students, and I’m realizing that Ball State is helping me grow into the successful (and social) butterfly I was meant to be.
Now having almost a year and a half under my belt, I feel like I’ve hit the magical mark of, “Yay! I’m now wise enough to give advice to the little ducklings coming my way.” So, here’s my advice, lil ducklings:
Do everything you want your freshman year. This will lead you to find out what clubs and groups either benefit you or really interest you, and you can narrow it down after a semester or a year. Doing this has allowed me to find friends in just about every corner of the university, even if I’m not in the same extracurriculars anymore. If your goal is to make as many friends as possible, this method worked well for me — as long as you can avoid ~SuPeR hIgH sTrEsS~ levels, it should work wonders for you too.
453 days in, and saying yes to the Honors College is still one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’m now in Honors 203, and I’m learning about modern literature and art and how both the pieces and the authors and artists impacted the world around them. Maybe this sounds ridiculous, but reading about women like Abigail Adams who changed the course of history is inspiring, and gives me hope that we’ll eventually have a country with more than a handful of women in Congress and female leaders balancing out a business world filled with testosterone.
453 days in, and campus has become more than home. Being surrounded by this sense of community has allowed me to understand why BSU is often referred to as “the nest”—eventually, we’re all going to fly. We’ll soar and we’ll find success.
453 days in, and I’m happy.
Last year, I wrote an article about what being in Honors meant to me. I told you all I was a journalism and marketing double major, and how much I love writing and “sharing my gifts,” as my mother says.
Well, plans changed — imagine that.
I realized that, if I wanted to make money right away, journalism wasn’t going to be the way to do it. Being financially independent and comfortable is one of my biggest goals post-graduation, and the few journalists I know are barely hitting the average mark. I’m also learning that I can’t be everywhere and do everything, so I dialed back on the quantity of things I’m involved in (such as Student Honors Council), and instead, have focused on the quality of my efforts in groups to make sure I’m giving 100% of myself.
I’m happy to say that I am simply a marketing major now, with double minors in economics and professional writing. I am the communications coordinator and traffic manager for McKinley Avenue Agency (formerly known as Unified Media Advertising and Creative Agency), so I am working with both my major and student media. Can you say best of both worlds? I’m also the subcommittee leader for Marketing for BSU Dance Marathon, and I absolutely love what I do and my fellow committee members. Lastly, over the summer, I worked at State Farm as their marketing and customer service intern, while filling my evenings by teaching seven piano students.
Busy? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.
I’ve learned a lot about myself by jumping into things head first. I’ve learned a lot about time management, how to balance a social life with academics, and why it’s important to put yourself out there, no matter how terrifying it might be. Had I not jumped in head first, none of the aforementioned titles or positions would be a reality for me. But here I am, leading groups and unifying students, and I’m realizing that Ball State is helping me grow into the successful (and social) butterfly I was meant to be.
Now having almost a year and a half under my belt, I feel like I’ve hit the magical mark of, “Yay! I’m now wise enough to give advice to the little ducklings coming my way.” So, here’s my advice, lil ducklings:
Do everything you want your freshman year. This will lead you to find out what clubs and groups either benefit you or really interest you, and you can narrow it down after a semester or a year. Doing this has allowed me to find friends in just about every corner of the university, even if I’m not in the same extracurriculars anymore. If your goal is to make as many friends as possible, this method worked well for me — as long as you can avoid ~SuPeR hIgH sTrEsS~ levels, it should work wonders for you too.
453 days in, and saying yes to the Honors College is still one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’m now in Honors 203, and I’m learning about modern literature and art and how both the pieces and the authors and artists impacted the world around them. Maybe this sounds ridiculous, but reading about women like Abigail Adams who changed the course of history is inspiring, and gives me hope that we’ll eventually have a country with more than a handful of women in Congress and female leaders balancing out a business world filled with testosterone.
453 days in, and campus has become more than home. Being surrounded by this sense of community has allowed me to understand why BSU is often referred to as “the nest”—eventually, we’re all going to fly. We’ll soar and we’ll find success.
453 days in, and I’m happy.