Why did you decide to come to Baylor? This question I still get asked, being a senior I answered this question more times than I would say. But I totally understand why people ask me that question, considering I am from Massachusetts over 1,500 miles away from this little city in Texas that I call home. What was one of the most challenging things I had to do ended up being the best decision that I could have made for myself.

Texas and Massachusetts will forever hold my heart.

Before coming to college I was wicked shy, which people who know me now are completely shocked when I tell them that. In high school, I wouldn't even ask to go to the bathroom because that would mean I would have to talk in class. When I was forced to talk in class, the majority of the time I would end up in tears. My teachers would talk to me after class, saying how I needed to talk up more, etc. But I never listened because I just couldn't. A lot of this had to do with my lack of self-confidence because I couldn't do anything by myself. I always would have a friend come with me to talk to a teacher or go to the bathroom (I mean girl code though). My lack of self-confidence truly impacted me to be my true self in high school, mostly just mimicking what I thought was my true self.

Over the course of high school, I learned and gained the confidence to become more vocal. By senior year I was getting kicked out of class for talking too much (who would have thought). With that, it only got better for me deciding to go to college in Texas.

At first, it was definitely a challenge because it felt like everyone went to college with some friend or someone that they already knew. But being somewhere that I did not know a single soul forced me out of my comfort zone. I had meet friends, I had to join activities or try new things. I learned really quickly that I needed to find my voice, which I know I am still trying to find but over the past years I learned more about it.

As a people pleaser, a big struggle of mine was that I would always just agree or do whatever someone wanted to do. Do not get me wrong, most of the time I didn't care what happened but there were many times my freshman year that I went out of my way to make other me happy or just to please them for no reason. Something that people learned quickly was to walk all over me. I learned that it was okay to actually speak up to not always allow them to get their way. I do not deserve the people that are just using me.

Over the past years, I definitely learned how to find my voice, something that I always hide behind. I was never the one to be a leader but now I find myself leading group projects, successfully having presentations.

Being over 1,500 miles away from home definitely gave me the confidence that I need to the best that I know I am supposed to be.