Getting out of your comfort zone
by Catalina Myers |
When Tylantiss Atlas was 10 years old, she started running track and field. Her persistence in mastering her sport earned her an athletic scholarship to run for UAA, and in 2018, Atlas left her home in Dallas, Texas, to travel more than 3,800 miles north.
鈥淚鈥檓 a firm believer of being in uncomfortable situations 鈥� I think they kind of mold you into the type of person you鈥檙e supposed to be 鈥� so I took a leap of faith, packed all my stuff and came to 熊猫在线视频 to see if it could wor,鈥� said Atlas.
The leap of faith didn鈥檛 come without reservations. Despite the beautiful landscape, she questioned whether or not she鈥檇 made the right decision to leave her home and mom behind. But she stuck to her guns and decided to give Anchorage and UAA a shot. After a bumpy first year, Atlas said she finally started to feel comfortable with the help of track and field coaches, teammates and a few friends she鈥檇 made.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 deny that it was hard, one of the hardest things I鈥檝e chosen to do,鈥� said Atlas. 鈥淓verything happens for a reason, but now looking back, I鈥檓 so happy I chose 熊猫在线视频 and UAA. It鈥檚 such an amazing school and I had a great experience.鈥�
In addition to her student-athlete status, Atlas worked for the University Police Department while also pursuing her bachelor鈥檚 degree in sociology. Throughout her four years at UAA, she was afforded opportunities to expand upon her degree through networking and engaging with her professors and peers, an experience she felt she wouldn鈥檛 have had at a larger university. Although she said her training as an athlete provided the discipline to persevere through early morning alarm clocks, long days attending class and studying on campus, working at UPD and indoor and outdoor track practices.
鈥淚t was hard, but I knew there was going to be a huge win at the end,鈥� Atlas said. 鈥淭he professors at UAA are very understanding, they work with you and your schedule, they really want to see you succeed.鈥�
Atlas said she鈥檚 always been driven, and her determination to overcome obstacles, whether on the track, in the classroom or in the workplace, comes from her deeply rooted faith and her mom. Being raised by a single mom, Atlas said she didn鈥檛 always have much growing up, and often she and her mom struggled to make ends meet. But despite life's challenges, her mother took her to every track practice, attended every meet and pushed her to work hard as an athlete and in school and her consistent love and encouragement pushed her to be the best version of herself.
鈥淪he saw something in me and believed in me 鈥� even when no one else did,鈥� Atlas said. 鈥淏ut her love and support and my faith in God are the reason I push everyday to reach my goals.鈥�
Atlas said she hopes to pass on this message in her graduation poem. In what little spare time she has, Atlas dedicates it to her budding music career. She decided to weave her love of music and rhythm to create a poem focusing on resilience and trusting the process, something she has learned through pursuing track and field and attending college in 熊猫在线视频.
鈥淭here鈥檚 always going to be a huge win behind the losses you take,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 important to keep pushing no matter what because college is hard but life in general is hard 鈥� it doesn鈥檛 really get any easier. But the more that you elevate, the harder it gets.鈥�
Atlas said she still has much to learn and plans on continuing to pursue her studies in sociology and earning a master鈥檚 degree. Despite the challenges 熊猫在线视频 handed her, she found a community to ground her and provide the support she needed to persevere.
