Operation Shyness: exposed

Like most college students, I'm getting more and more nervous as graduation nears. Now is the time for me to come out of my comfort zone, and for my own good, I can't be shy anymore.

Now that it's time for me to get a "big kid" job, it's time to make my move. I have accomplished many feats throughout my college career and have "stepped it up" more than I would have four years ago. When I was a senior in high school and preparing to make that next larger step into the world of college, I was afraid, but since then I've learned that growing up is about facing challenges and overcoming obstacles that will change your life forever.

I have started to make my shyness go away a little bit each year. I have become a member of a sorority and held several positions within, have become the public relations chair for an organization that raises money for the St. Jude Research Foundation, and have also been involved as a reporter for my school newspaper. I work part-time and have an internship at the Newport Aquarium.

All of these things I wouldn't have imagined I could have completed as a freshman in college. However, joining my sorority helped me become more motivated and helped me to relieve my shyness by encouraging me to break out of my shell and make friends - sisters - that I will have for a lifetime.

Without writing for the school newspaper, I would never have learned to make deadlines, work diligently and quickly, or be able to work under pressure. Before I started on my first assignment for the newspaper, I was afraid of the interview process and worried about making mistakes. Once I started interviewing subjects for the articles, I eventually crept out of my shy shell and wrote six stories, with my final story making the front page. That was the best day of my life!

Sometimes I think back to a time when I was making excuses to hide in my shyness. I began my first and only job at the Newport Aquarium four years ago, and during that time, I have learned how to associate with the public and deal with all kinds of issues. I've also learned about the different types of aquatic life and realized I had a fear of sharks. Not the big sharks that swim above guests in the tunnel; it was the little sharks that you could touch at the Shark Central exhibit. Despite the fact that they were harmless, in my mind, I was convinced they were going to bite the fingers off my hands.

I know how silly it may seem to be afraid of "touchable" sharks, but something about it made me nervous. After a year or so of enduring lots of jokes at my expense, I decided enough was enough: If hundreds of little children could touch them every day without any problems, so could I. This winter, I faced my fear: I touched a shark.

Without the experiences and life lessons I learned, I wouldn't be here today, filling out graduation forms and applications for new jobs, and watching my college career slowly fade away. I have been able to face my fears, and this reassures me that whatever I decide to do in the future, I can. And the fact that I had accomplished my goals, including getting over my shyness factor, helps me realize that I'm on the right track.

Katie Vaal is an employee of the Newport Aquarium who now touches sharks on a regular basis and a senior journalism major at Northern Kentucky University.