I Am Stanford: Jackie Choucair

Hey y’all,

I want to share some of my most memorable times thus far on The Farm as well as my transition to college life. I just wrapped up my sophomore year and can’t believe how fast time goes by in college (cliché but true). It’s not that every day feels fast (I’ll be nothing but honest with you in this blog) but rather the weeks vary so much that you’re learning something new almost every day. Bottom line: no day is the same. My past two years have been filled with meetings, work, sports, mentoring, classes, social events, and plenty of meals. This a completely different feel from the, oftentimes, monotonous high school routine – school 8-4, track practice, dinner, homework, bed, repeat (I bet your schedules was a variation of this too). I could never condense my college schedule into a uniform mold like high school’s. Now, I have always been one for more freedom and responsibility (the two are inseparable) so I love the flexibility that a college schedule provides. Being able to get off campus for a quick bite to eat with friends or simply exercise in between classes is the perfect “brain-break” that I need to recharge before hunkering down on school work. In this blog, I’ll take you through a couple of landmarks and highlights that define my past two years at Stanford.

An Emotional Transition

This was a tough one – leaving my close-knit family and friends from Dallas, TX and entering a completely foreign environment with few ties to people in the area. It’s hard to ever be prepared for something you’ve never experienced, but I want to share this experience with you all because I believe it’s important to be aware of the yin and yang reality that comes with any major transition in life. For every thrilling aspect of my freshman year, I also faced just as many downs. And that’s not a bad thing. Though it’s not always easy to cope with in the moment, this adversity certainly has shaped who I am today, strengthening my resolve, confidence, and independence.

Being a part of the Varsity Cross Country/Track team my freshman year definitely helped keep my mind off of missing the familiarity of my family, hometown, and routine. The team and sport offered immediate comfort because it was something I knew so well and could easily relate past memories and experiences into my new life. My teammates and I had a shared passion, which also made our friendships soar quickly. It was so important for me to have that sense of normalcy by doing something every day that was familiar while being exposed to many ‘firsts’ throughout those early freshman days. This combination of old and new made my transition to The Farm much smoother.

One thing I know for sure is that I would not have wanted to go through this transition anywhere but Stanford! This community offers endless opportunities to engage with others. I hope you all enjoy talking about the highs and lows that come with a typical college transition. There are amazing people surrounding you (you’re one of them) so although it takes time to feel fully connected and integrated on campus life (patience is key), take risks and put yourself in positions that will allow relationships to grow and develop. This doesn’t mean you need to attend every single freshman event; just stay connected. It is important, however, to realize the value of your role in creating a community: your presence matters!

The Difficult Decision

As mentioned, I had the wonderful opportunity to be a part of the cross country and track team my freshman year. It was rewarding to train with such talented group of athletes after dedicating nearly 18 years of my life to competitive athletics. However, I began to decipher that health and fitness, overall, was not only a top priority of mine but rather a passion. After my freshman year, I realized it was time to move on and continue to develop this passion through broader platforms. This was one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever made since it challenged my identity (as much as I refused to acknowledge it at the time). It was this decision, though, that made me adjust my perspective…for the better. I wasn’t an athlete because I had the title to back it up. I was an athlete because of the choices I make and the lifestyle I carry out. This fresh mentality has crossed over into other aspects of my life too, enhancing my decision-making skills and work ethic. Making this healthy decision for myself opened the door to a variety of opportunities on and off campus that I never would have come across otherwise. I knew had made the right choice when I felt this overwhelming excitement to explore all that Stanford had to offer. I urge you all to keep an open-mind at all times, make thoughtful decisions, and enjoy the thrill of trying something you never thought you could or would in a safe, caring environment like this one.

Mentoring freshmen

I enrolled in Design Your Stanford (DYS) the spring of my freshman year. This d.school trademark course is not one to miss. After enjoying this course so much I decided to apply to be a Stanford Peer Facilitator (SPF) for a pilot program where upperclassmen mentor a handful of freshmen throughout the year with an emphasis on developing mentee’s confidence in their own decisions and thought patterns. This was a gratifying way to give back to the upperclassmen that were my support system throughout freshman year. Through this program, I realized how impactful and effective it can be to simply lend a listening ear. I didn’t always need to talk or give the student an answer; quite often, my mentee came to the right decision for himself/herself after talking it out. This was rewarding to see their shift from possible confusion and frustration to clarity and excitement. Hanging with my mentees and hearing about their recent experiences never ceased to put me in a good mood. Do things that put you in a good mood.

Greek Life

Joining Pi Beta Phi Fraternity (yes, it’s actually considered a fraternity for women since it was the first women’s organization patterned after men’s groups) was the most unexpected treat this year. Early spring quarter, I thought to myself: it’s time to enlarge my circle of friends. Despite it being rare to rush after freshman year, I decided to give it a shot and just see where that weekend took me. I had no real expectations going into this process so I really enjoyed meeting hundreds (but actually) of amazing young women without worrying about the outcome. In the end, however, I was pleasantly surprised to have found a home at Pi Phi. I could not be happier to be a part of such a well-rounded, kind group of ladies.

And just like that, I’m a junior.

Relish the ups and the downs of this defining time in your life. Don’t be alarmed if it’s not all roses and sunshine each day. It’s not supposed to be. That’s what makes the sunshine so great! And Stanford has lots of it.

Your OC,

Jackie

Jackie Choucair

Management Science and Engineering
Class of 2017