How Brian Achieved His Goal—Or Didn't?

The transition from high school can be difficult. You are in a new environment, with new people, and have many new obligations. This was no different for Brian Gilbride, now a Sophomore Supply Chain student. He came to Penn State with many friendships from high school and wasn't putting in the effort to build new connections at college, like many students do. He just worked and went to the gym. His spring semester, he identified that he was not well rounded and wanted to make a difference. He set a goal to be better overall, but more specifically in his relationships.

Whether it was family, friends, or just any one he would come in contact with, he set out to be grateful and genuine. He put himself outside his comfort zone into social situations that he would not normally be in. He joined the photography committee within the THON public relations committee, the snowboarding club, and he rushed a business fraternity. Within each organization on campus that he joined, he honestly made an effort to make connections with the people in the group and build relationships beyond merely the person you just say hi to when you pass them on campus. This allowed him to see what people were like outside his immediate circle and really helped him appreciate what was going on in other people’s lives.

It was not easy to just suddenly change his actions and venture beyond his comfort zone. It requires a lot of confidence. In order to gain confidence, Brian started meditating. He found an iPhone app called Head Space, which guided him in how to meditate. Being more comfortable with himself allowed him to focus more heavily on the other person rather than constantly worrying about how he was coming off to them. He was able to shake off the social anxiety that may college students face.

He feels he has come a long way, but yet is still not contempt. This is a constant and ongoing goal of his that he can keep chasing after in order to continually better himself.