CAS Through Summer – Claudia

Personal growth often comes from unexpected places. This summer, I decided to challenge myself in two completely different ways: learning Latin and starting yoga. These activities seemed random at first, but they’ve both taught me valuable lessons about patience and stepping outside of my comfort zone.

Since I already study Spanish in school, I got curious about where the words actually come from. That led me to Latin: I started to dedicate 20 minutes daily working thorough grammar and vocabulary.

What surprised me most was how Latin changed my perspective and my understanding of Spanish. The challenge is that Latin is a dead language, so there’s no one to practice with. I’ve to get creative with my study techniques and keep myself motivated without the usual resources modern language learners have.

Latin pushed me beyond my comfort zone and taught me that sometimes you have to figure out your own path to learning.

Another activity that truly helped me manage my stress was yoga. I started doing yoga 3 times a week for 15-30 minutes. At first, I was truly terrible- couldn’t hold a plank properly without the improper form and I couldn’t hold it more than 1os. But, slowly things improved. 

The physical progress was quite slow, but they were truly gratifying. But, what truly got me hooked was the mental shift. When school feels overwhelming, yoga gives me a rest button. It’s shown me that progress isn’t about being the best – It’s about showing up consistently.

Ultimately, Latin and yoga couldn’t be more different, but they’ve taught me the same lesson: growth happens through consistent effort. Not with sudden motivation.