BY MULTIPLE MIRACLES OF THE LORD, I AM HERE.
The Past:
"Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength: They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary." (Isaiah 40:30-31)
If you asked most people I knew in high school, they would tell you that they were not surprised that I am at Duke today, but this fact is simply proof that I had everyone fooled. My life before Duke was consumed by clubs and sports, friends and fun, and most of all by academics. There have been tests, applications, fundraisers, games, meetings, recitals, competitions, practices, and fast approaching deadlines for all of them. Naturally, stress happens. Overwhelming, life-changing, world-shaking, scary stress happens. People think that it doesn’t happen to everyone, that there are the lucky select few that don’t feel it and that Kathryn Hutchins is one of them. I admit that I hate for people to see me sweat, but, believe me, I do.
I am like a duck. Everyone who looks at me sees me glide gracefully across the lake, with serene demeanor and a pleasant look on my face. I look effortless, like I am lucky enough that I just get to float across with no work at all. That is all they can see. They can’t see under the water, where I am kicking my feet for dear life, working hard to stay afloat and get wherever I want to go.
Ducks are very simple but very efficient. They are blessed with webbed feet for swimming, but used inefficiently, their feet would let them swim in a circle forever (it’s not rocket science). Many people would give webbed feet the credit for a duck making it across a huge lake, but it’s really up to the duck himself to use his gifts and make it happen. Ducks achieve success only when they chose to use their simple blessings to accomplish something meaningful. Again, I am like a duck. My methods are never profound, but always simple and effective. I look at what is before me and ask myself “How can I use what I have to get through this?” In the privacy of my own brain, I am constantly mentally organizing and prioritizing. I am not “lucky.” Any success I have can be attributed to two things: The glory of God and good old-fashioned hard work. Nothing comes without both of these.
The Present:
“..unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.”(Luke 12:48)
The first time I toured Duke was the first time that I ever realized how desperately I wanted to become a part of it. I thought I knew already, but I had no idea. This year at Duke has been without a doubt the best of my life, and I honestly feel that there is almost nothing bad that I can say about Duke. The integrated and united atmosphere among all of the many kinds of people at Duke is the only one of its kind that I have ever seen. I genuinely feel that everyone- all races, cultures, genders, and ages- are working together for the good of the Duke community and for their own good simultaneously. At Duke, I love how you can be anything you want to be, and while some people may not want the same thing, they will generally respect you and help you in any way that they can. I am so profoundly honored to be a part of Duke, and I can honestly say that just being admitted was just about the most surreal experience I have ever had.
The Future:
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13)
This would be a dreadfully incomplete description of my time at Duke without addressing where I intend for it all to go. (this week, but subject to change) I am double majoring in Biological Anthropology and Anatomy and Classical Languages, feeding both my love of science and my love of Latin. I am, however, certain that I want to be a doctor.
I have always been attracted to the field of medicine, but medicine as a certainty became real for me with one experience. When I was twelve, and my little sister, Victoria, was eight, our mother accidentally ran over Victoria’s foot with the car. Her big toe was nearly amputated, and after seeing her foot, in my mind there was no way that it could ever be normal again. To my surprise, when she came out of the emergency room, her toe looked much better and after a few months, evidence of the accident was nearly undetectable. When she came out of ER and I saw that the doctors had easily mended what I thought would be lost forever, I was in complete shock and awe. I realized at that moment what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to be a doctor, so that I could fix people like they had done.
I am still today as fascinated by the world of medicine as I was on that day when I was twelve years old. I idolize doctors because of their courage, intelligence, and ability to remain level headed in life or death situations. Becoming a doctor is not an easy path, but it is my dream, and with hard work and the glory of God, I am certain that I can make it happen.
Forever:
“Surely goodness and Love will follow me all of the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:6)
I have a motto (and it’s not another scripture, I promise). It is in Latin, as the Latin language sparked the first academic passion I have ever known, and my love for it continues even now. Latin words are packed with far more meaning than English words, and therefore I feel that, to me at least, my motto in Latin stands for a lot more than an English interpretation that captures only parts of its meaning. I will translate it in bits, because this is the only way that I can do it justice.
~Ci spar desideraque semper esse quam videri~
-“Ci” (to shake up, stir, evoke, or call on by name)
-“Spar” (hope, the personification of hope)
Together I take these two to reference evoking the spirit of hope as the basis for my identity, personifying hope in all I do. Secondly, C.I.S.P.A.R. is an acronym I invented, which represents compassion, integrity, strength, perseverance, achievement, and religion, the ideals that I attempt to base my entire life around
-“Desidera” (to want or wish for). This word is used in Latin text to describe a person’s relationship with air. It is more than just the English translation of “want”
-“Semper” (always, forever)
-“Esse” (to be, to exist)
-“Quam”(than, rather than, instead of)
-“Videri” ( to be seen)
The last part of this motto may sound familiar, at least if you are from North Carolina, as “esse quam videri” (English: “to be, rather than to seem”) is our state motto. The first time I ever saw this phrase, I read it as “to be instead of to be seen as.” I always want to BE, in the same way that I want air. I don’t ever want to do anything simply because of how it will make me look, but only because I see true value in it.
So in all, “Personify hope, and always want to be instead of to be seen as.”
I told you it could never mean as much if I just said it in English!
This is my life, and above all I truly believe this:
BY MULTIPLE MIRACLES OF THE LORD, I AM HERE…
and I’m not stopping soon.