{"id":13732,"date":"2025-10-20T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/?p=13732"},"modified":"2025-10-14T16:13:31","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T20:13:31","slug":"running-your-own-race-redefining-what-it-means-to-be-on-track","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/2025\/10\/20\/running-your-own-race-redefining-what-it-means-to-be-on-track\/","title":{"rendered":"Running Your Own Race: Redefining What It Means To Be \u2018On Track\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Students talk about being \u201con track\u201d in college as if everyone is running the same race on the same timeline, just trying to reach the finish line. Growing up in Indiana, where racing is woven into the culture, I know a race is as much about pacing, strategy and adjustments as it is about speed. It makes me wonder: What does it really mean to \u201cwin\u201d in college?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For me, the race metaphor feels especially true. I started at Butler University in 2022 as a marketing student, but quickly realized my heart was in communications, leading me to switch my major in my second semester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Butler Bulldog in me soon became a Boilermaker when I transferred to Purdue after my first year. While I had found my academic direction in communications, I hadn\u2019t felt at home socially at Butler. Transferring to Purdue gave me the chance to start fresh and find my place on campus, but I couldn\u2019t shake the feeling that I was behind, starting over while others seemed so far ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Purdue, every communication student begins in a pre-communication program before entering a concentration. That meant I spent my first year at Purdue alongside mostly first-year students, and the gap between where I thought I should be and where I was felt impossible to ignore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That tension became my motivation. I knew I needed to get involved \u2014 not only to catch up and close the gap, but also to strengthen my r\u00e9sum\u00e9 and grow as a young professional. That\u2019s when I discovered PRSSA. I joined just over a year ago, at the start of my junior year, and what\u2019s happened since has shown me that maybe I\u2019m not behind at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During my first year as a member, I sought out opportunities like working on a Chapter committee or attending the Midwest District Conference, but nothing clicked right away; instead, I faced a few early rejections that challenged me to be more resilient and open to growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, I work on the Publications Subcommittee, serve as my Chapter\u2019s guest relations director and contribute to Boiler Communication, Purdue\u2019s Student-run Firm. Along the way, I\u2019ve also taken on two internships \u2014 one in development and fundraising with Indiana Humanities and another in communications with IU Health \u2014 as well as a preceptor role for a political science course, providing academic support and grading assignments. Together, these experiences have shown me success is less about keeping pace and more about finding where you can thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking back, what once felt like delays or detours were really just part of the race. Each turn \u2014 switching majors, transferring schools, starting over in pre-communication and facing rejection \u2014 led me to where I am now. My path hasn\u2019t been the fastest or the most direct, but it\u2019s mine. That\u2019s the real lesson: There\u2019s no single \u201ctrack\u201d in college, only the one you create for yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

College isn\u2019t a race. Sure, we\u2019re all headed toward the same finish line of graduation, but it\u2019s not about who gets there first. It\u2019s about how you navigate the track \u2014 the adjustments you make, the pit stops you take and the experiences you collect along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, it\u2019s hard not to look around and feel like you\u2019re falling behind when everyone else seems to be speeding ahead with internships, leadership roles or perfectly mapped-out plans. I\u2019ve felt that pressure myself \u2014 the nagging sense I wasn\u2019t doing enough or started too late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too often, we confuse \u201cwinning\u201d with being the busiest or having the longest list of achievements, but I\u2019m learning that \u201cwinning\u201d in college looks different for everyone. For me, it\u2019s been about finding the right fit, saying yes to opportunities that excite me and building confidence at my own pace. And honestly, the moments that make me feel like I\u2019m truly winning happen outside the classroom \u2014 with the people I meet and experiences I collect that remind me there is more to college than any bullet point on a r\u00e9sum\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the day, it\u2019s your race to run and your life to live. College isn\u2019t about keeping up with someone else\u2019s pace or matching their milestones. It\u2019s about figuring out what excites you, where you want to grow and how you define success for yourself. Don\u2019t let comparison kill your joy, and remember: It\u2019s never too late to change your mind. Not only is this your life to live \u2014 it\u2019s your only life. So take the wheel, set your own pace and start redefining what it means to be \u201con track.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Grace Wright is a senior at Purdue University, studying public relations and strategic communication with a minor in political science. She currently serves on the Publications Subcommittee and as her Chapter\u2019s guest relations director. Beyond PRSSA, Grace is an intern at IU Health, a preceptor for a political science course and a member of Purdue\u2019s Student-run Firm. When she\u2019s not writing, you can usually find her with a good book in hand or surrounded by the people she loves. Connect with her on LinkedIn<\/a>!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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