Southwestern College Santa Fe, NM
Being a first year student and new resident to New Mexico, orientation and the thought of the first day of classes was very intimidating. However, orientation was a great time. I met a lot of genuine and friendly fellow students in my cohort. After those two days, I feel excited to see where these next two years take me on this journey towards my masters degree.
On the first day of class I was feeling nervous despite the time I spent making friends and getting acquainted with the faculty. However, after walking into my History of Art Therapy class and seeing friendly faces I knew, the nerves went away. Of course, going over the syllabi for every class can be overwhelming. I knew going into this that the first couple days would be overwhelming. My undergrad had the same affect every semester.
At Southwestern College, everybody gets comfortable fast. Yes, it is an academic institution, but there is also space for us to grow, individually and collectively. In class, we get to share a lot about ourselves and where we come from, but we are using our past in context with the material we are studying. In every class I am challenged to learn something new about myself and it helps create a foundation for me to grow.
The instructors at Southwestern are very helpful and eager to help students reach their full potential. They’ve been quick to answer any questions I’ve had and it has led to many insightful conversations in the classroom and outside. I often leave the classroom with more questions to explore and the drive to dig into different meditative practices and art projects.
Cassie Moran is a first year student at Southwestern College studying Art Therapy and Counseling.
