By: Maryam M. Omer
“#Preventionstartswithme”Psychological and emotional wellness is an ongoing process for everyone.”
We are often told to keep an open heart towards all human encounters and to remember that one positive or negative relationship does not reflect true life as a whole. Though these statements hold value, they tend to forget about when jumping into new friendships and relationships.
In college, specifically, countless times are wasted trying to find the perfect friendships, rather than actually cultivating them. It is wrong to think that the relationship that I have with my brother would not need continuous care and appreciation, especially at his lowest and darkest times, just because he does not reciprocate the love I constantly show him. It is wrong to neglect the relationship I have with my closest friend, just because I’m living in a different city and cannot see her on a daily basis. It is wrong to call my parents once every blue moon and assume they think that I am fine throughout every moment of my college career, despite their constant concern for my health and welfare. The common denominator in each of these situations is me.
Thinking back at my overall college experience, these are relationships that once meant the absolute world to me. They were my whole life. However, I would be lying if I said that distancing myself from the people I love and depend on most did not serve a worthwhile purpose to my development as a young woman.
“#PreventionStartsWithMe it is time to unlearn your past traumas by healing, growing, and supporting one another.”
If there is anything that these past five years of college have taught me, it's that sometimes you have to make yourself your first priority. No one is ever going to love and respect you more than yourself. This is ultimately why the term “relationship” has been taken extremely lightly throughout my 22 years of life. As soon as someone willingly lends a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on, I immediately show extreme affection towards that person and build a strong connection.
Confiding in someone other than myself gives me satisfaction and inner peace, sometimes a little too much, which leads to not being able to prioritize my wants and needs in a relationship. At the end of the day, it is important to realize that even the strongest relationships should not be inconsiderate of your own self-love. A relationship should be a balance between each person’s morals and values. This is the only way that you will not be left abandoning crucial, loving relationships as I have done in the past.
Maryam Omer a 1st generation college student, as well as the middle child in her family, which is how she’s matured to be an independent woman at a very early age. She is a motivated person who is driven by her life experiences to make a difference in unjust healthcare policies having to do with pharmaceuticals. She aspires to do this by becoming a pharmacist and ensuring proper administration policies for current medicines on the market.
Her ultimate career goal is to be behind the scenes in the production of pharmaceuticals, in order to provide only the most effective pharmaceuticals to her community.
Maryam has taken steps to bring herself closer to her aspirations by majoring in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at UC Davis, which allowed her to acquire crucial knowledge in the field of medicine and the current state of pharmaceuticals. She has gotten the opportunity to study abroad in Taiwan, allowing her to observe how chemists begin to synthesize new drugs in a lab setting. This experience taught Maryam how to be independent and able to adapt when working in unfamiliar environments, which is an asset that is beneficial to any situation. In the future, Maryam plans to further her education at a pharmacy school to continue working towards her goals.
Maryam is also one of the newest initiates of Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority, Inc., Lambda Xi Chapter (ΛΞ) , Spring 2019 #Setaria7 #Proud2Be #DeltaGirl.