CHC Alumni Update – Emily Ryan – Class of 2019

Where are you now? What do you love about your life?  

I am in kind of a weird state of life right now. I’m at JMU where I found my independence, found how to time manage, and found what it is like to be my own person. When I come home, I have to follow all these rules again which is really weird to go from living my own life to living under my parents’ rules again. I love that I am more confident in who I am and that I have amazing friends who are literally there for me for anything. That’s what I love about my life right now. 

What is the best part of college? 

My favorite part about college is meeting all the new people!! You’ll meet people from all walks of life and it is so fascinating to learn about where people come from and to hear their story. 

What are you studying/what is your major?

My major is kinesiology with a minor in pre-physical therapy.

What do you miss about CHC?

I miss the teachers and that personal relationship with teachers. In college, you are but a number unless you put in the effort to go to office hours and get to know the professor. 

Which classes or teachers do you remember most?

I remember my English classes and anatomy class the most…. I never liked English, but all the teachers in the English department were so good, they probably had the biggest impact on me with learning. Also I remember anatomy because I was very passionate about it and really wanted to learn more.

What advice do you have for current CHC seniors?

My advice for seniors is to finish strong, but don’t spread yourself too thin because then you won’t enjoy yourself. Trust me, I did that and it was awful. For me, I was such a rule follower and goody-goody that I had to turn in every assignment even if I had to stay up really late to complete it.  So just remember that sure, homework is important, but if you miss a couple, it’s totally okay.

Where do you hope to be 5 years from now? Please be specific.

So five years from now I hope to be in ODU’s grad school for PT (so I could commute from home to save money for my own apartment) and to be interning at a PT office to hopefully be offered a job once I graduate. 

What is your best memory of CHC?

My best memories of CHC are probably all the fun times my friends and I had just at lunch, eating lunch together and catching up on everyone’s day. Also just saying “hi” to people in the hallways would make me happy; it’s always the little things that can make such an impact on my day, even just a small “hey” in the halls could change my day.