Image by: Brianna Vasquez

Writing has become my safe haven…a place where I can emote and be completely honest by utilizing the words that I could never say aloud out of fear or anxiety. This is my fourth year working for OpenLab’s The Buzz. I am so honored to still have this platform…this opportunity…this venue to publicly talk to students by way of the internet. When I first started writing for The Buzz, my theme was anything food related. This would differ from food news, food innovations, new technology for food, new food machinery, or any interesting recipes. Being that my major as a student at City Tech was hospitality management and my area of focus was pastry arts, I was drawn to discuss any food topics because I wanted the fuel the City Tech society with a love for food that I had already developed.

Image by: Brianna Vasquez

This semester is going to be a bit different, in terms of my theme for my future posts as I want to still discuss food but I want to allow my writing to be more raw, candid, and personal by way of my own struggles. I want my writing to mean something more than just informational; I want it to be relatable. I would love for my writing to speak to people, for my voice to be heard through unspoken words…to help others by my own personal journey through life. I figure that every college student is struggling in some way in their lives, and so I want my posts on The Buzz to reflect those issues, to allow students to not feel alone in their woes. My entire life was academics; I literally forgot what life was like before school had taken over it. I could not remember my life in simpler days without the hassle of classes, homework assignments, group projects, exams, quizzes, midterms, and finals. My life was encompassed by the academic world…I felt as if my worth as a person solely relied on final grades and grade point averages.

Image by: Brianna Vasquez

Here I was, a new college graduate who had no idea what to do with her life now. I had no clue what my next step would be. I was so accustomed to attending school that I almost didn’t know how to be self-sufficient without it. It was heartbreaking and devastating. I had thought I knew all along what I wanted, but when I finished, I didn’t know what career to pursue. And honestly, I still don’t. So much has changed in my life during my collegiate years and I am finding it difficult to rekindle my focus onto my future, which includes my career. But, in the meantime, I have been trying to hone my skills in my love for pastry arts. I have made quite a few cakes and other desserts for a combination of friends or family members to become a better pastry chef. And it has allowed me to find my passion within this amazing career that I had somewhat lost after graduation. Each day, I am closer to finding myself…finding myself for a career role…finding myself without academics involved…finding myself as just a human being.

Image by: Brianna Vasquez