November 15, 2025
On the heels of our recent graduation ceremony, there’s one topic on everyone’s mind: new beginnings.
For many graduates, this season brings new careers and new identities beyond “student.” For current students, it might mean new courses or new realizations about the path ahead.
Whatever stage you’re in; you’re likely standing at the edge of something new.
Fear and Excitement: The Perfect Pair?
New beginnings almost always come with two powerful feelings: fear and excitement.
These emotions coexist so perfectly that I must ask-how can two things be so different yet fit together so seamlessly?
But that’s the point, isn’t it?
To live fully means experiencing it all. Not suppressing one feeling while accepting the other, but sitting with both and recognizing we’re all feeling the same human experience.
The Courage to Begin
Those who choose education are usually looking to make some kind of change. That first step can feel both exhilarating and terrifying.
New beginnings are rarely neat. They’re messy and uncertain. You might question whether you’re capable, whether you’re too inexperienced, or too late.
Those doubts don’t disqualify you. They’re proof that what you’re doing matters.
So, Where Do You Begin?
Everything begins with a decision. Here’s how to move forward:
- Make it real – Write down your goals
- Make it specific – Don’t leave anything out
- Share it – Tell someone who will support you
- Take small steps – Bite-sized pieces, not the whole puzzle at once
- Stay in your lane – No one’s journey looks the same
Own Your New Beginning
New beginnings are scary because they represent the unknown. They ask us to believe in a version of ourselves we haven’t met yet.
But they are also exciting because they represent possibility – doors yet to open, experiences yet to unfold, and strengths yet to discover.
Your new beginning doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.
You just have to own it.
Katie H. is a graduate of the Stenberg College Counselling Therapist program. Passionate about writing and helping others, Katie shares her experiences and insights to encourage others on their own journeys of healing and growth.
