TAMPA, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Study hard. Get good grades and your degree. Straight forward, yes, but there’s a ton of other challenges today’s college students have to confront. A new college grad has taken it upon herself to shine a light on what young people … especially young girls … face outside the classroom during these pivotal four years.
With a full load of classes and playing club volleyball, you’d think Jessica Steidl’s college days were vibrant.
Instead, she describes them as overwhelming, stressful and intimidating.
Jessica Steidl, author of Blossom says, “College is a big time to pick your major and its ultimately picking your career someday, so that comes with a lot of stress and pressure.”
Her passion is writing. When she graduated she couldn’t find a job with her creative writing degree so, she wrote a book about what she knows best: college life.
“I’ve always wanted to help other young women who might be going through the same things I am.” Steidl explained.
The book is called Blossom, and Jessica takes readers through real-life lessons of alcohol, sex, and drugs … to school work, sports, and relationships.
Steidl said, “That’s why I want to reach them before they might experience it, because for me it was very hard when I was in the moment.”
She offers daily inspirations and ways to stay true to yourself. One technique is to write down lies you tell yourself and then counter it with something encouraging to dispel the lie. A tip, recent college grad Mikaeli Hassell now uses after reading the book.
“Whether it was peer pressure or losing hope in myself or doubting myself or lies or anything like that, I wasn’t prepared for all of those struggles I was going to face.” Hassel said.
Steidl landed a job working for a publisher. Her advice to others?
“You have to put yourself out there and try to see if this is the opportunity or the job that is meant to be and if it’s not then you just have to keep trying.” Steidl told Ivanhoe.
You can find Jessica’s book for young women on amazon and at Barnes and Noble. She says writing it made her more marketable and definitely helped her get the job.
Contributors to this news report include: Sarah Rosario, Producer; Scott Henderson, Videographer; Dave Harrison, Editor.
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