Mikayla Coyne- Who Am I? And What Am I Doing Here?

Who are you and what are you doing here?

Who am I? My name is Mikayla and I am from a small town of Northborough, MA. I live with my mom and dad, as well as, my older sister, Alyssa. She is currently a Junior in college at Bryant University. My high school was a regional school made up of two towns, Northborough and Southborough. There was always a weird rivalry between the "better town", as elementary and middle school were separate, it was only in high school where we came together as one. One of my favorite things to do in high school was to play basketball. I found a comfort in being able to work hard on a new skill and actually be able to see the hard work pay off. So far in my life, even with schoolwork, it has been hard for me to see the handwork I put into something actually pay off. In school, it is almost expected to get good grades, so if I received an A in a class, even though I worked hard for it, I would not feel that accomplished. It is a weird concept. I was happy that I got an A, but it was almost because I was only happy because I knew how upset I would be if I didn't. That is not the case with basketball. If I worked hard on being able to shoot, and over time I was able to make 3 jump shots in a row, it was a different sense of accomplishment that I can't get from anything else that I do. I believe that is why I enjoy it. Playing basketball is something that I really want to continue through my life, as I have a real passion for it. 

What am I doing here? I think that is a really good question. At Northeastern? I hope to expand my knowledge to the best of my ability. In life? I hope to have a positive influence on people's lives. I hope to become either a physician's assistant or even a physician. I hope that I am able to have an impact on someone's life, even if it is just one person. I have come to the point in my life where not everything is about being perfect. I have discovered that it is okay to make mistakes and not have everything figured out all of the time. This is something that has taken me a long time to actually realize, but I am happy that I am now able to fully understand it. I hope to have a positive influence on a person's life and help them figure this out as well. I think this is what I am doing here. To have a positive influence on people, even if I make a difference in just one person, that would be an accomplishment.