Home: A Senior Reflection By Abbigail Roberts

 

Abbie Roberts

     Reflecting on my time here at Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods College has been an incredible experience. It has also been a really difficult experience trying to sum up these past four years. This last semester of college has been a very reflective time for me, due to the nature of my senior project and just thinking about how time has gone by so fast. It seems like yesterday that I was a 17-year-old coming into college, not knowing what my purpose was, or what I wanted to do with my life. I still don’t have the answer to what I want to do with my life, but I now have direction. Deciding on whether or not music therapy was the right path for me was a struggle up until last semester. I went back and forth for three and half years on whether I wanted to continue to pursue music therapy. I think, in reality, music therapy pursued me as there was something about it that I just didn’t want to leave behind. This turned out to be the whole reason why I was interested in music therapy in the first place. I loved music and I wanted to help people. That is the desire that began this long journey. It was this desire that kept me going through all of the struggles and failures, the back and forth, and what led me to where I am today.

SMWC Onyx ring on flower arrangement

          I’ve never been great at making decisions and this was one of the hardest decisions I have had to make. Reflecting on it now, choosing music therapy has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. I have grown so much as a person and gained many skills. The heavy workload and “scary” proficiencies, although difficult, were worth it. I have also had so many amazing practicum experiences and I am so thankful to be able to work with a diverse range of clients and work together with my amazing peers. All of this is created in a way to set students up for success and to ensure that we feel as prepared as possible when we leave SMWC for internship and beyond. That is the beautiful part of this community, especially the Music and Theatre Department. Our professors want to see us succeed and push each one of us to grow and be better. That is part of the reason why I chose to come to The Woods. I saw that the professors cared for each student and would set us up for success. I am so thankful for the connections that I have made with my professors and the guidance and care that I have received. The amazing professors are part of what makes SMWC home to me.

SMWC Madrigals announced as  2019 winner
 International Mayo County Choral Festival 

SMWC Madrigals in Ireland 2019

          

     Another part of my college experience that I appreciate so much is the amazing community of SMWC. I have made wonderful connections with not only the faculty and staff, but I have also made some very close friends. I really struggled to make friends during my freshman year as I was very introverted and avoided people as much as possible. However, on our first choir trip to Ireland, I made many close friends. Touring and singing in all of the beautiful cathedrals of Ireland was an amazing experience in itself. Being able to enjoy these experiences with a wonderful group of people made it all the better. It was an even greater experience when the Madrigals were invited back to Ireland the next year to compete in the 2019 Mayo International Choral Festival. Being a part of the Madrigals and having the magical Madrigal moments has made my time at SMWC even more special. I will forever be a part of this legacy of women who have sung before me and those who will sing after me. What an incredible legacy to share in. None of us were expecting to win this international competition, but our nine women from a small town in Indiana made history for SMWC when we won an international choir competition. I have to say this will go down as one of the greatest moments of my life! Not only did we win an amazing competition and were able to visit Ireland for a second time, I also grew closer with the people in the group and I am forever grateful for this experience and for each and every person I have sung with. I could go on forever about all of the beautiful musical moments I have experienced, but I will say this, the community of the Music and Theatre Department and these incredible moments that I have been a part of are why SMWC is home to me.  

MT practicum students 2019

      Studying music therapy and being involved in the choirs, theatre, MTSA (Music Therapy Student Association), and more has all brought me unexpected joy. As I’ve said many times before, I never wanted to go to college. My plan was to drop out after one semester because I was so sure that college was not for me. We can see how well that worked out as I am now writing my senior reflection and thinking about all of the things that have made my time here at SMWC an incredible experience! Coming into college, I never thought that I would ever call this place my home. 

    Writing this reflection, I tear up thinking about  this place and the people that now make this place my home. It took me a while to sit down and write this reflection, because as a senior there is so much to do. However, taking this time has given me the ability to reflect on these past four years and process all of the emotions that comes with leaving behind home and taking the next step into a new and exciting time of life. As I said before, it is hard to sum up my time here at SMWC and I don’t think this experience can be put into words. All I know is that I am grateful for all the experiences and opportunities that I received, the care and support that I received from my professors, and the incredible friends that I know who will be a part of my life forever. I think it is important to be open to new experiences and be willing to dive into the unknown. If I hadn’t taken the first step and taken risks, I wouldn’t be the person I am now. 

MTSA members at event 2019/20

     Last but not least, I am thankful to God and His Providence that led me here to Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods College and I am excited to see where He will lead me next.

Kaci Jones and Abbie Roberts Ring Day 2019

Author: Abbigail Roberts, SMWC senior music therapy major

Editor: Sharon R. Boyle, MM, MT-BC, Associate Professor of Music Therapy and Coordinator of the Undergraduate Music Therapy Program, Chair of the Department of Music and Theatre

Photo Credits: Sharon R. Boyle, Abbigail Roberts

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more information about the SMWC Undergraduate Music Therapy and Music Therapy Equivalency-Campus programs, contact:
Sharon R. Boyle, MM, MT-BC 
sboyle@smwc.edu