Today is my birthday – I’m officially 29 years old. I thought in today’s post, I’d talk about some of the highlights of the past year, for me.

Joining organizations in my city
In the past year, I’ve joined the New Leadership Council, for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Board of Directors for CLASS, a local disability advocacy organization, and the American Public Health Association, a national professional organization in my field. I can be an introvert, and joining groups where I know no one definitely pushes me outside of my comfort zone. That being said, I really like being involved in things and giving back where I can, so I’m very excited to continued working with these organizations!

Seeing Hamilton twice on Broadway
I know that I just talked about this here, and that it also may come across as bragging – but honestly, I think it’s just such a special show and there’s something incredible about seeing it live. I’ve mentioned that the trip to NY isn’t exactly easy for me, which makes the whole experience even more special. I’m looking forward to seeing the show when it makes its way to Pittsburgh, too!

Having my op-ed published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
I was the Forum (Opinion) Editor for my college newspaper, and in another life would have loved to have been a journalist. It was really exciting to see my name in print in the byline, and also to get the feedback that I did from friends and strangers alike – you can read it here.

Officially hitting the halfway mark in my graduate school career
When you’re a part-time graduate student, it can seem like a very long, never ending journey to graduation. When I was planning out my class schedules for the next few semesters, I realized that I was more than halfway done with my classes – it feels like a huge accomplishment!

Starting this blog
It’s been over three months now, and I’m still sticking with it! I’ve really been enjoying writing this, and have loved hearing from people who are reading!

Taking part in the Patient-Focused Drug Development Meeting between the FDA and CureSMA
This was such an exciting experience to be a part of (read about it here)! I thought it was cool from a personal and academic perspective, which made it even more interesting to me. It felt really good to be a part of such a monumental event, and also really interesting to hear the opinions and experiences of others with SMA.

Having a quality group of friends who I know I can count on
This is not a concrete accomplishment, but something that I’ve really realized how much I value! I’m not someone who has a ton of acquaintances – when I’m friends with someone, it means that I consider us close, and that I expect a lot, but am willing to give a lot, as well! This has resulted in a small group of friends from different ages of my life that I’m incredibly grateful for – people that I know will be there for me, and that I can count on, no matter what.

I think this past year has been pretty great for me, and I’m really looking forward to the last year of my 20s!