I love telling people how I got here, and even though you didn’t ask, I’m going to tell you, too.
For me, “here” is my last semester of college; “here” is a stepping stone into a career as a financial planner; “here” is being called to start a church downriver with my closest friends and family.
As far as my journey goes, Michael Scott’s quote from “The Office: sums it up perfectly: “It goes to show that everything you want in life, you get. And you can’t work for it. It just comes to you.”
It’s not one of his funnier quotes, but it rings true for me.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not promoting laziness. But every wonderful thing I have ever received has come to me as a blessing, not from my own hard work.
I worked hard every night of my high school career to get a full scholarship to Wayne State (don’t judge me).
At the end of four years, I had earned the scholarship but didn’t receive it because of a mix-up with my guidance counselor.
At the time, it was a giant, enormous disappointment.
I had everything planned out. I knew where I was going to school and I knew I wouldn’t be starting my life under a pile of school loans.
In an instant, I lost all of that security.
Panicked, I decided to attend the first university that offered me a decent scholarship: UDM.
And it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
I declared a major in communication studies and became a staff writer for The Varsity News during my second semester.
I was given so many opportunities here that I can’t even begin to list them all.
I don’t know what I would have done without the patience and guidance of my faculty advisor (and, let me tell you, after taking a couple of summer classes at Wayne Community College, a good advisor is a blessing), as well as the wonderful friendships I’ve made here.
I do know that even though I gave up every weekend for four years during high school, none of that mattered. It was purely God’s intervention and call to trust in Him that led me to UDM and to such wonderful people.
So how did I go from communication studies to financial planning? That’s an even better story.
One day, while I was still in high school, I was called into my guidance counselor’s office because a local businessman had inquired about a student to come in after school to input data.
My father always used to say, “Veronica, no one is going to knock on your door and offer you a job.”
Well, he can’t say that anymore. I met with my boss, Mark, and he hired me on the spot.
It was only supposed to last for a few months, but four years later I’m poised to take over the business upon Mark’s retirement.
This job has been one of the most amazing blessings in my life. It has given me security, knowledge and, best of all, I’ve met my family there, people whose influence has helped me grow into the person I am today.
My testimony is definitely one of rest; God has done the most amazing things when I took the time to rest and trust in Him.
I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to attend UDM, to write for this paper and to study in a field that I love.
And I’m also eternally grateful that God allowed me to rest the whole time.
Whitehead, a long-time VN staff member, will graduate in December
