Note: This update was posted the first week of class and was commented on by a few of you but I posted it in the wrong spot! Some of you may have already seen this. 

Hello everyone! My name is Morgan Hanek and I am a senior studying Learning and Education Studies with a concentration in Workplace Training and Development. I transferred to this University my junior year from Columbia College Chicago. The University of Illinois has been my dream school since I could remember, but I was afraid of failing and settled for mediocrity.

One day I came across a quote that said, “if your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough” and that’s when I came to the realization I wasn’t where I was supposed to be because I wasn’t scared. I was comfortable at Columbia. Although that may sound appealing to most, great things do not happen in your comfort zone. Turns out, that fear I had to apply to U of I was a good thing. That being said, my goal is to continuously push myself out of my comfort zone and do things that scare me. Now that I am a senior, I am undergoing the process of applying for jobs and I plan to push myself to my greatest limits. I hope to start a career that I truly enjoy with room for growth in the company to keep myself motivated. I am looking forward to working with all of you this semester.