Reflective Essay

Brock Scholars Program

Briley Holbrook

June 20, 2018

Freshman Year at The University of Tennessee Chattanooga

My first year as a Moc was surprising. Coming in to college in August, I was optimistic

but scared, excited but timid, and I had no idea how my life would shake out. I was alone for the

first time in a new city where I knew almost no one, but I was hopeful about the Honors College

and meeting friends in this unfamiliar place. The Brock Retreat at the very beginning of Fall

semester did not play out how I thought it would. I ended up with strep throat on the first day,

and had to head back to campus early. Nevertheless, I was able to make connections and friends

that ended up being my roommates for my sophomore year. I am incredibly thankful for this

program for many reasons, but making such incredible, intelligent and graceful companions in

Brock is definitely high up on the list.

When I started school in the Fall, I was majoring in Social Work. I initially chose the

field of Social Work because I knew that no matter what career I pursued, I wanted to work with

people and in social service in some form. I was drawn to Social Work at first glance because I

was interested in working in the Foster Care system, and within the first few weeks of school, I

started an internship at the Chambliss Center for Children, a local organization that provides

childcare for low-income, at risk families, and provides Child Placement for children that have

been separated from their families. During my semester interning at the Chambliss Center, I was

able to oversee the Social Work agenda within the Child Placement center, as well as working
hands on with children in the Early Childhood classroom setting. I became incredibly passionate

about working with children that were at-risk, and hearing their stories was a humbling and

fascinating experience. Although I came to Chambliss in hopes of learning about the Foster Care

system and falling in love with Social Work, I was quickly able to see that I wanted to pursue

another path with my education. Working in the Child Placement Center helped me to better

focus what I wanted to do as a perspective career, and so during my second semester at UTC, I

decided to switch my major to Psychology. I knew that I still wanted to work in Social Service

and aid those in need, but I did not want to be a licensed Social Worker, and Psychology seemed

like the right path to give me a more broad Social Science centered education to prepare me for a

more focused Master’s Degree.

My second semester at UTC, I became more involved in service-oriented projects, like

working for the Local Missions team at the House, an on campus ministry. I did work with the

Tennessee Baptist Children’s Home, doing yard work and spending time with children that were

placed in transitional living homes. I also volunteered at the Siskins Children’s Hospital and the

Chattanooga Autism Center, where I did Autism Training and worked in the daycare room with

children on the Autism spectrum. Through programs like these, I was able to discover my love

for service, and wanted to continue to integrate that into my career. I decided to apply for the

Integrated Studies Program, and have integrated my current major, Psychology, with Public

Administration and Nonprofit Management. I have narrowed down my hopes for a career to

working for a Nonprofit that provides International Relief for children and communities fleeing

war, poverty, hunger, health issues, and natural disasters. I hope to obtain a Master’s degree in
International Relations, Global Studies, or NGOs, and aspire to work for a international

Nonprofit organization like Relief International or Direct Relief in the future.

My first semester of college, I maintained a 3.9 GPA with a 4.0 my spring semester. I was

on the Dean’s list for both semesters, and received the School Volunteer of the Year award from

the Chambliss Center for Children, where I attended a banquet to receive my award in front of

local nonprofit organizations and businesses that work alongside the Chambliss Center. I am

incredibly proud of the accomplishments I have made thus far in college, and hope to continue to

progress and become more involved on campus.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my first year at UTC, but I did not complete it without

challenges. This year was mentally the hardest year I had faced so far in my life, and I had to

battle many personal issues as a freshman. It was incredibly hard to keep my personal life

separate from my education, and I had to persevere more than ever to maintain my grades and

still be involved on campus while maintaining my mental and physical health. Although I

struggled at times my first year, I was able to come out a stronger and more hardworking

individual and learned to better balance all aspects of my life, including school, work, club

organizations, and my personal and social life. I am incredibly thankful for Dr. McCarthy’s

Humanities class for being a source of relief for me three times every week, a place where I and

my fellow classmates could sit in a room, discuss works of literature and themes of life and

really engage in the “Humanities-based” curriculum the Honors College offers. My Humanities

class was above all my favorite class I have taken at UTC, and because of it, I am a better

academic writer, reader, and thinker. I look forward to other UHON seminars in the future and

hope to gain similar skills in those classes as I did in Humanities.

 Going forward to Fall of 2018, I hope to get more involved on campus and in the Honors

College. I want to join a new club, dive deeper into my new major, and plan to study abroad in

2019. I hope to maintain my GPA at a 3.9 and stay on the Dean’s list for the coming semesters. I

also hope to start on a research fellowship through the Honors College and find an internship at a

nonprofit in the area. I am extremely excited to see what my future in the Honors College and at

UTC holds, and I am welcoming the coming change with open arms.