Growth Happens Here: Upcoming Grad Shares Her Story in Newest Short Takes

Fulbright College senior Jenna Klewsaat knows that persistence pays off in the end. Klewsaat, who is originally from Colorado, came to the University of Arkansas in 2020 and has overcome numerous obstacles, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet Klewsaat persisted, never giving up on her dream of graduating and seeing her name on Senior Walk.

Klewsaat shared some of her experiences in a My Path to Senior Walk video during her sophomore year in 2023 and discussed why she believed more students should speak up about their struggles, particularly regarding mental health.

In that 2023 video, Klewsaat said, "Mental health, … I feel like a lot of people struggle with that. There's such a stigma around 'don't say anything about it.'"

Yet, as a sophomore, Klewsaat had already discovered what made the biggest difference in facing this challenge: connections with other people.

"You know you're not alone," she said. "Other people are feeling the exact same way, but you might not even know." She added, "You have to take care of yourself."

In the three years after sharing her story, Klewsaat did just that. She found a support system for encouragement, academic programs she loved and people who believed in her. She even studied abroad, which shaped her identity through immersion in a different culture. Living on her own in another country, she discovered that, within herself, she had what she needed to succeed.

Now on the cusp of graduation, Klewsaat reflects on her time at the U of A in the newest Short Takes video, "Growth Happens Here." She acknowledges that mental health is slowly being discussed more between students and shares how she found her place at the university.

"I couldn't imagine my college experience being at any other place," she says.

Klewsaat will graduate in May after pursuing a double major in communications and psychology and a double minor in English and Italian, all from the Fulbright College.

For additional Short Takes videos, visit the Short Takes playlist on YouTube.