EXSC Honored Graduate: Anne Shull's Journey of Self-Discovery

A woman filling the frame gives a small smile directly to the camera. She has chest-length curly brown hair, pale skin, and neatly arched eyebrows. She wears a blue short-sleeve blouse with a black tank underneath.

Anne Shull (EXSC ‘24) is the kind of person who came into her undergraduate with a clear idea of her career and never wavered. In high school, she shadowed people in different health professions, but in the end, she kept thinking about the occupational therapy appointments she attended with her brother, who has autism spectrum disorder. She knew that’s what she wanted to do, but she had no idea that getting there would require an intense journey of self discovery.

Focusing on Things that Matter

There used to be a voice in Shull’s ear telling her that she had to be a superhuman, work hundreds of residency honors, score perfectly on her tests, and cram in every extracurricular she could. Then, during her first semester back from her mission, Dr. Matthew Seeley challenged her to push back on her perfectionism and focus her time at BYU on growing as a person, and that’s exactly what she did.

Ten students stands in the back row. All have brown or blonde hair, four of them are women, shorter than the rest. In the front row, six students and one professor in the middle kneel. All of them have brown or blonde hair, four of them are women. Shull is on the front row, third from the right, and wears glasses, blue jeans, and a black short sleeve blouse. — Olson and other students attended a Spanish Fork elementary school's science fair last year.

Shull participated in volunteer opportunities led by Seeley like judging elementary school science fairs. He also introduced Shull to Y-Serve. She immediately connected with Adaptive Show Choir, where students are paired with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to learn songs and choreography. Coming from a family of dancers (her parents and her brother danced at BYU), Shull feels like the performance skill gene skipped her, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t enjoy it. “That’s one of the places I made a lot of friends I’ve had throughout my time at BYU, and I keep in touch with individuals I was paired with. I still go and get lunch with my friend Elise even though she’s not in the show choir anymore,” Shull shares.

Rather than stressing over the future, Shull dove head first into absorbing all she could from the College of Life Sciences, trusting that God would guide her on her journey. She learned to “focus on things that matter in the long run. . . like trying to make long-term connections with people, and seeking experiences that shape you as a human being.” In her time spent shadowing occupational therapists, she learned a great deal about providing the best possible care for everyone because that is what they deserve.

Focus on things that matter in the long run. . . like trying to make long-term connections with people, and seek experiences that shape you as a human being.

Anne Shull

Extending Mercy

Attending BYU has taught Shull a lot about who God is, and in particular, she’s grown to better see past the judgment and rules to His mercy. Though changing her perspective hasn’t been easy, Shull is grateful for the classes that taught her about the unconditional love of God and her innate worth. “It’s so easy and gratifying to feel and share that support of a Heavenly Parent who really does know everything about your life and cares about it,” she adds.

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Shull also appreciates the exercise science courses that shifted her perspective. By understanding how the body works, she realized the importance of self-care through physical activity and healthy nutrition choices. “The human body is beautifully intricate,” she observes. The knowledge she’s gained has helped Shull learn how to better take care of herself so that she can focus on taking care of others in her future career. She recommends that everyone take SWELL classes while at BYU, and for exercise science majors, she recommends EXSC 387 to learn how to create healthy habits now.

Shull will be taking the lessons she’s learned with her back to her home state of Ohio where she will be attending graduate school studying occupational therapy.