As Thanksgiving approaches, most students are counting down the days to tasty food, time with family, and a much-needed break. But beyond the annual holiday feast, students are also thinking about what they are grateful for.
Aspen Redden, a digital and interactive media student, is grateful for her school.
“There are so many resources here,” Redden said. “I get access to so much equipment I wouldn’t have been able to get alone, and the professors really helped me grow and find my style in what I create.”
Often times, a quality education is overlooked when thinking about gratitude. Respiratory care students Madison Parise and Jaila Washington are also grateful for their education, but for different reasons.
“I’m grateful for my fiancé, my dog, and my friends,” said Parise, while looking at Washington. “School has been really challenging, but with the help of good friends, it’s coming along really well.”
“Yeah, I was going to say I’m grateful for her (Madison Parise),” Washington said. “We met in the intro class for the respiratory care program, she’s helped me a lot in school and in life.”
Their friendship shows how gratitude can grow strongest between people who truly get each-other. But for some students, gratitude reaches even further, touching nearly every part of their life.
Nursing student Madelina Manimbo is grateful for more than she can count.
“I’m grateful for everything, my life is beautiful,” Manimbo said. “My education, my health, my vehicle, my circumstances, just life in general.”
In today’s time, we all hear sentences like “count your blessings,” or “it could be worse.” In hardship, these words tend to go in one ear and out the other.
However, focusing on the positives in life can reduce stress and anxiety. Gratitude can also release dopamine and serotonin, also known as the “happy” neurotransmitters, improving your mood.