Blogger Dylana Camacho Orozco looks back over the past year in her final blog post

It’s really interesting to look back at our past and see how much we have changed.

If you ask me, two years ago I got the good news that I was chosen as a recipient for a fantastic scholarship to study in the USA at Truckee Meadows Community College. I was thrilled, excited, and impatient because I still needed to wait another year and it looked so far at the time.

A year ago, I was going through my visa process and my departure came way too fast for me.

Now, I’m already here in the U.S., and once again, I’m waiting for my departure, but this time to go back home for a few weeks’ visit. I can’t believe I’ve been here for a year now because it went by so fast.

This year was full of new experiences, people and opportunities. I had the wonderful experience to work as an International Peer Mentor with such a wonderful team that taught me and let me grow as a professional. This is my very first job, and I’m very grateful because I learned a lot.

I can spend a bunch of pages writing about all the wonderful things I learned being here, but the biggest skill that I’m carrying with me is empathy. Working with international students and being one of the international students at the college made me understand how important it is to have support and a whole department that understands us. 

All the things we go through are different and all our cultures have diverse ways of embracing things, so being able to understand that and helping students with that was such an eye-opening experience for me.

Looking back…

Some people say that we shouldn’t look back on our past, but I really like to remember my past to check out how much I’ve grown and then focus on my present to walk into my future.  Past Dylana had lots of hope about her future, and checking my journals, even the ones before I knew I was coming here, she already was confident that she would get her opportunity to study abroad. I’m really proud that because of Past Dylana, this present one is doing her best to keep moving forward.

What’s next?

But well, as I said, it’s time to move on. Sadly, this is my last blog and a really emotional one. I’ve had fun writing these blogs, as they have let me put all my process of adaptation in words and it also made me reflect on all my journey here. 

But hey, not everything is bad or sad; the reason why I’m moving on is because I got an opportunity to work in a different department more related to my field. So, I’m still staying on campus, Int’l Services is not done with me!!

I look forward to enjoying this new experience to build up my future. Changes are part of life, and we can’t stay in our same comfort zone. That’s how we started, right? We left our comfort zone in our country to move to a whole different one and we are trying to live the best experiences we can.

I encourage you all to keep working hard for your future, and to not let your own fears stop you from experiencing new things. Get to know people, places and collect experiences, even if they are bad, they are part of life and they strengthen us.

It has been a pleasure to connect with you through these past blogs, and I hope they can comfort you through your journey here.

I’m so grateful for all my team, for all the staff I’ve met while working here and for all the laughs I’ve had being here. I will miss them so much, they are such caring, kind souls and if you ever plan to apply to Truckee Meadows Community College, they are more than willing to help you.

Nos vemos y Pura Vida!!
—Dylana

Dylana Camacho Orozco from Costa Rica is an international student at Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, Nevada.