Meet UCCS OIS student, Zeda! A freshman who grew up between Texas and Colorado, Zeda is studying Education, because she wants to teach little kids American Sign Language (ASL).
Zeda is excited for college because she wants "to make new friends and be a good roommate" to the three other girls in her apartment. With her roommates and friends, Zeda attends many on-campus events, such as Disney Club or guest speakers on campus. She also takes time to relax in her apartment. Additionally, Zeda is an avid swimmer, and one of the reasons she chose to attend UCCS is because of the swimming pool at the campus rec center.
Occasionally, Zeda gets homesick. When she starts to miss her family, she has great coping techniques such as coloring and listening to music. Sometimes, she goes home on weekends to see her family in Denver. Zeda is going to take driver's ed so she can make these trips independently one day! "I'm going to get a car soon. But I'm not ready yet, because I'm still practicing."
She practices other independence skills in her weekly grocery store runs with peer mentors. On these trips, she works to budget her money, buy healthy options, and not "[get] too much" food.
Zeda says, "I just love UCCS!" She is working to build an on-campus "family" to help have the best possible college experience. Zeda has learned that college students have busy schedules, but she uses her calendar to keep track of her events and classes. She is already looking forward to classes she will take in her sophomore and junior years!
For more of this inspiring story, watch a video of Zeda sharing about her first semester as a college student.
