Anna Joy
Lee
About Anna
Hello! My name is Anna Joy Lee, I'm 21 years old and I'm a third year student at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. I'm studying Strategic Communications with the goal of channeling my creativity and energetic personality into a career in marketing. I was born in Ithaca, New York, but was raised in Stillwater, Minnesota. I grew up in a household that hosted a steady stream of beloved pets– everything from pugs to poison dart frogs. Embracing the responsibility that comes with animal caretaking allowed me to become a reliable and nurturing person from a young age, fostering a natural strong suit in my ability to build and maintain close relationships with a range of personalities.
I found this plant in an unexpected spot. A rogue sunflower blooms from the mouth of a rusty storm drain. It greets the sun like any other blade of grass, undeterred by the route it had to take. For me, this prevailing stalk embodies the merits of resilience and grit.
One is not defined by their challenges, but rather, how they engage with them. Regardless of one's circumstances, there is always a form of choice in how to react. One can stagnate under the pressure, unsure how to move forward, or one can confront and grow from a challenge. It's not easy, and it's certainly not comfortable, but choosing growth is a necessity to adapt to adverse circumstances in life that, by nature, fluctuate.
To flourish is not a state, but a mindset. This sunflower reminds me that whatever challenges lie ahead, I have the agency to surmount and learn from them. It's my belief that optimism is necessary for survival– it is a lens that creates a positive chain reaction with what I take in, and what I put out. Rather than focusing on the sewers I may be rooted in, I remind myself to follow where the light shines.
