Get inspired by Board Member, Peer Mentor and Mission Zero volunteer, Luan Truong, as he shares his story on how he came out of his comfort zone

The past few years have felt like a rollercoaster, with so much surprise and sadness all at the same time that it makes me feel overwhelmed by everything that’s going on. However, I've built resilience to "survive" through it all.

It looked like I would be able to achieve all the academic goals I had when I first enrolled in the Computer Engineering Program at Sheridan. I had the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge in the field of computer technology, and I also made many new friends and built new relationships.?

So when the pandemic hit and everything gradually shifted to online learning and working from home, in my opinion, online learning wasn’t a big problem. The thing that worried me most was how to find a co-op placement since many companies were temporarily closed and had laid off their employees or were switching to a work-from-home format, and no one wanted to hire a college freshman to work from home.

I stumbled upon an excellent TED Talk video on YouTube one day about staying calm, and I thought, “Why don't I take just five minutes every day to calm myself and understand more before acting” and “why do I have to stress about getting my resume done?" I decided to drop out of co-op, switch to the non co-op program, and start doing what I enjoy.

Making new connections and starting a conversation with someone was (and still is) challenging for me, since I’d rather remain in my comfort zone, but...it's annoying to be stuck there. Since I decided to step out of it, I am more open to making friends and talking with people. I started looking for any opportunity to get involved with the Sheridan community, whether through the Peer Mentor program, Mission Zero volunteering, or running for the SSU Board of Directors. My #SheridanLife is being shaped as a result of this, which meant that I was seeing more people and becoming more confident; two things I wish I would have done at the beginning of my journey. Since I am writing this blog in June, which is my birth month, happy Pride month! Having become more confident and open to communicating with others, I was able to come out as bisexual last year and feel freer to express myself fully.

I am grateful for what I have accomplished so far, and I am looking forward to the final semester and graduation in May.