Courtney Sill

Wabasha, MN

3rd year

Physical Education and Health Science with a minor in Developmental Adaptive Physical Education with Food and Nutrition

Second Language: Spanish

 

My favorite aspect of the Honors Program is the personal relationships I have made with my present mentors, advisors, and peers. These types of connections have provided important encouragement and support for me.

I have always been in the mentee position since I have started college here but I also have served as a mentor being a Community Advisor. I think it has taken my own experiences as a mentee to be able to become a better mentor.

My most valuable experiences in college so far have almost always been volunteering opportunities I did. My favorite so far was being a shift leader at Campus Kitchen, which is a food-packaging program for those who have food insecurities in the Mankato community. Not only was this a rewarding experience but also one where I learned a lot about my own leadership skills, working in groups, and how these types of organizations run.

As an incoming freshman to the Honors Program, I would have liked someone to remind me to be open-minded to all various careers and job fields. I failed to recognize how common it was to change majors and career paths as I began college. If you are a freshmen reading this, follow your gut instincts and don’t ignore them when something doesn’t seem right or is different from everyone else’s expectations of you. Listen to your heart and do things for yourself!