Post-graduation plans: Lydia will be starting as a research assistant at the Center for Social Development and Education at UMass Boston. Following that experience, she intends to attend graduate school to pursue a doctorate in psychology.
Major: Psychology
Key experiences: Lydia describes herself as more cautious before college—“safety prone”—but she’s been supported here in ways that have pushed her growth. “I’ve learned a lot about myself. … I’ve found friends that I really love here, friends that I connected with in ways I’d never found before,” she says. And her academic advisors have supported her as well, “in not only my academic but also my personal life.”
What she's taking with her as she prepares to graduate: "As I move forward, I’ll probably feel more comfortable in new situations; trying new things, falling in love with different things that I never thought I’d experience.
"If I could tell my past self one thing, I think I’d tell her to trust her instincts and take more risks—break out of your shell! Be okay with failing! Get back on the horse and try again."
Hometown: Medford, Massachusetts.