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鈥斺渟afety prone鈥濃攂ut she鈥檚 been supported here in ways that have pushed her growth. 鈥淚鈥檝e learned a lot about myself. 鈥 I鈥檝e found friends that I really love here, friends that I connected with in ways I鈥檇 never found before,鈥 she says. And her academic advisors have supported her as well, 鈥渋n not only my academic but also my personal life.鈥
What she's taking with her as she prepares to graduate: "As I move forward, I鈥檒l probably feel more comfortable in new situations; trying new things, falling in love with different things that I never thought I鈥檇 experience.
"If I could tell my past self one thing, I think I鈥檇 tell her to trust her instincts and take more risks鈥攂reak out of your shell! Be okay with failing! Get back on the horse and try again."
Hometown: Medford, Massachusetts.