There’s always going to be things in life that are scary or seem way out of your league. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go for it!

I recently entered a contest to design a t-shirt for the 2018 College Media Convention. This is a national convention. I would have never thought that I, a sophomore college student, would have won the competition. But I gave it a shot, and it paid off! I was able to then attend the conference to receive recognition for my work.

Now, you won’t win every contest you enter, and you won’t always be successful. But what matters is that you try. Michael Koretzky, a graphic designer for the Society of Professional Journalists, who was a speaker at the event, said: “Try, fail, try again, fail better.”

It’s so important that you try the things that are different. You never know where it will lead you! Things that seem scary or impossible might end up being your new favorite thing or your biggest success. The more you put yourself out there, the more opportunities you will get!

It might seem difficult, but there are opportunities on campus you might not think about:

• Try working for the Wood Word! You there are opportunities for designers, illustrators, and photographers!
• Submit to the Bayleaf when submissions open!
• Join new clubs! You never know what you might enjoy when you try something new!