3 Redefining Success

I always wondered what I would be like when I turned 21. I had so many versions of myself in my diary growing up. I would journal a lot about the person I would be and she changed quite often. Every time I picked up a new hobby, the person I imagined myself to be would shift in the ensuing years. Actually, I’m pleasantly surprised to see that I didn’t guess correctly. There were a lot of skills I thought I would have enhanced as a young adult like being a pro athlete, or a concert cellist, or even a politician. What I’m most surprised at is the fact that the future isn’t my priority. I’ve learned to live in the moment and redefine what success is.

Success, to me, is accomplishing any part of my goal and feeling satisfied. Before? Success was so extreme. It was aggressive and time consuming. It was stressful and it was hard.

In high school, I was a fairly conservative child. I went to school, then went to practice, then went home. The cycle lasted all four years and when I finally got to college, I felt too free. I wasn’t doing too well in my classes and I wasn’t making real connections with people. I came to college and I left my home of 15 years in Cleveland, Ohio to move all the way to Arizona with no family, friends, or real understanding of adult life.

Being accountable for yourself is difficult if you’ve never done it before. I had to ask for help and it made me feel as if I couldn’t achieve the success I was so desperate for. I was so wrong because asking for help really changed my college experience. I took the time to investigate the resources UA has to offer. The one that stood out the most was the Thrive Center. This is the moment I was forced to redefine success.

The Thrive Center has workshops to promote student success and involvement on campus. There are a great deal of resources that I’ve been able to take part in. The Think Tank and Cultural Learning Communities have had a huge impact throughout my college career. I finally felt like I could ask for help and be able to actually receive it. I’ve spent so many hours there learning about myself, bettering my academics and boosting my networks. Not long after visiting the Thrive Center, I was able to find a job and a community within the cultural resource centers. Now, this is true success to me. I joined a couple clubs and eventually became the president of one, started working my new job, and got admitted into the upper division of Eller College of Management, all within a year of finding the Thrive Center. My main goal was to do better and feel better. I know this is vague and not a SMART goal, but I was desperate to feel something. Once I finally did, I began to truly feel successful.

College can be hard on your mental and physical well-being, which is something I experienced first-hand. I went a whole year feeling like I didn’t belong and that I couldn’t be stellar, until the beginning of my sophomore year when I reached out to the Thrive Center. My growth is undeniably noticeable, and the journey has been worthwhile. I love that I can allow myself to feel success in all aspects of my life after all the mistakes I made.

About the author

name: Kyrah Hughley

Kyrah (she/her) is a fourth year student from Honolulu, Hawai’i majoring in business management, management information systems, and entrepreneurship. She works diligently outside of the classroom to give back to her community and campus. Kyrah is the president of three student clubs that are centered around uplifting BIPOC students and works as a peer mentor for the Thrive Center. When she’s not working, Kyrah enjoys traveling, eating, and reading anything by Zora Neale Hurston. Her favorite quote? “Those that don’t got it, can’t show it. Those that got it, can’t hide it.”