Re'Anna Limmitt (she/her), of Detroit, MI is a first-year master's student studying human resources and labor relations and is expected to graduate in May 2024. Growing up, she had a broad interest in a variety of fields and discovered her life's ambitions throughout her time at Michigan State University. She never limited herself to the galore of disciplines she could pursue and graduated with many certifications.
Editor’s note: This student view was updated in June, 2024.
Being a first-generation college student, it’s hard to believe I am beginning my first semester of graduate school. I always did well in school and was constantly viewed as the “smart one” in the family who would “make it out of the hood.” But dreaming it was easy. Achieving the goals was the challenging part, especially coming from Detroit - a city known for testing one’s beliefs and resilience.
Growing up, it was always difficult for me to choose one particular field of study since I was passionate about so many things. I wanted to be a veterinarian at first, then a pediatrician, then a special agent, which led to me starting my undergraduate program as a criminal justice major. But I faced difficulties settling into this field as a Black woman in America and settled for being a forensic scientist. However, I later realized that wasn’t the career for me either.
Upon self-reflection, I discovered a commonality between my past, present, and future selves — I was always employed. This led me into pursuing the major of interdisciplinary studies which allowed me to venture into a variety of disciplines offered in the College of Social Science. But I still felt as if I was missing something with this major since I was not being exposed to any business-related concepts. So I decided to double-major in Human Capital and Society to integrate the business aspect into my studies.
Along the way, my inquisitiveness led me into pursuing six minors in other fields such as bioethics, health promotion, environment and health, leadership organization, human behavior and social services, and women and gender studies. Obtaining information is such a powerful facet that I sought to retrieve the utmost value from it throughout my time at MSU. Students do not always have to take the “traditional” pathway to achieve their degree or career goal. As quoted by Ralph Waldo Emerson: “it is not about the destination, it is the journey.”
Given the knowledge and experiences I gained from working in multiple industries, I knew my aspiration in life was to assist with making workspace environments more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Given my intersecting identity, discrimination and bias was no stranger to me. It was also one of my underlying drivers for wanting to foster better workplaces for all and preventing others from experiencing the same treatment.
My overall take away from my time at MSU is to evaluate yourself and determine what it is you seek, or desire, in life. Afterwards, the adventure in obtaining that goal, passion, or aspiration, will always be enriching.
