Aaron Reyes
Winter Quarter
2024
Winning Big Man on Campus
I was able to participate and win first place in a competition titled Big Man on Campus hosted by Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority. This event was hosted to raise awareness against domestic violence and fundraise money for the YWCA which is an organization dedicated to help women and families find and maintain safe, stable housing. The competition was organized into different categories that included an introduction, a talent, Q&A, and runway. To prepare for this event I did a lot of research on what were the best practices and things to do when encountering someone who has suffered from domestic violence which helped me learn new ideas that I was lucky enough to share. It was a difficult experience because I had to be infront of a large crowd of people showcasing my personality as well as raising awareness for these difficult topics.
My first ODPhi Little
This was a very special moment from the quarter because it was when Emilio became my little brother in ODPhi. I was lucky enough to meet Emilio in the Fall because he was one of my students in my Honors 100 section. I remember he came to our rush events and asked, “aren’t you my TA?” From there I was able to create a really great connection with him not just in Honors 100 but outside of that as well. In a way it feels that our strong bond was meant to be since he found his way to ODPhi and the Honors Program all on his own. I hope to be a good role model and mentor for him throughout his time at UW and am excited to see where our journey will take us.
Getting Rejected from the Psych Major
I remember this day so vividly, the exact moment my heart dropped when I got the email notification. I was so nervous to open the email because I felt confident in myself but was scared of facing a reality I hadn’t imagined in my mind. Getting rejected was a very painful and disorienting moment in my academic journey. After putting so much work and energy into preparing my application for the major, receiving that decision felt like a closed door on the future I had envisioned for myself. It triggered a wave of self-doubt that made me question my capabilities and where I truly fit in at UW. Sitting with that rejection forced me to sit with a heavy sense of disappointment, but it also became a pivotal turning point. It pushed me to look deeper at why I wanted to do this work and helped me realize that my passion for understanding and advocating for people wouldn’t be stopped by one decision. I chose to immediately make meetings with department advisors to ask for advice and feedback on what to improve in my application for the next cycle. I was determined not to let an obstacle get in the way of allowing me to become the person I wanted to be.