Senior Year is the most monumental year of our lives. It’s the year of lasts and the beginning of firsts. I went to every game, every dance, and participated in every spirit day. I was determined to go out with a bang. Everything was as it should be. Nothing could’ve been more perfect.

But, there was this word lingering behind me with every single move I made.

College.

I grew up a Sun Devil with both of my parents being alumni, so I knew my entire life that I was destined to follow in their footsteps. That part wasn’t challenging. But, I struggled throughout high school figuring out what I wanted to do with my life. It wasn’t until my Junior Year that I fell in love with writing and decided that Journalism was the perfect path for me.

I applied for the journalism program downtown and felt overjoyed when I finally got the message “Congratulations! You’ve been admitted to ASU and the Walter Cronkite School Of Journalism!”

It wasn’t until months later when it actually hit me that I was leaving for college.

I couldn’t have been more terrified. I couldn’t accept the fact that the thing I had been planning for months was a real. I didn’t feel ready. I hesitantly continued on with the steps to get myself enrolled.

Then, the time came to pick a roommate. I read through plenty of student bios, but I had nothing in common with other Cronkite students. I was so discouraged.

Then, I met Lauren.

She and I hit it off instantly. We liked the same music, were both highly involved in our schools' Yearbook, and just felt super comfortable talking to each other. She instantly became one of my best friends.

Although she’s coming from out of state, we continue to grow closer each day. We share music, send silly Snapchats, and text each other all the time. We plan to room together in the fall.

She helped me to grow more confident.

Thanks to her, I was able to stand up, embrace college with open arms, and scream my excitement out to the world.

I realized after a bit that I’m not alone on this journey. But, I also realized that I needed more than just Lauren to push me to the start line. So, I also joined a couple ASU group chats, one with students across all the campuses, and the other specifically with Cronkite Students. I’ve grown to be close friends with all of the students in the Cronkite Chat and we’ve been great at keeping each other up to date on new ASU information.

I know there was no way that I could've made it this far without Lauren and my Cronkite group chat pushing me to embrace this experience.

When you’re going through the process of admissions for college, it’s so essential to have other people by your side going through the same thing you are. They’re the best people to talk to and push you when you’re not feeling sure about your decision.

Being able to connect with so many people is the key reason as to why I embraced the “C” word so openly. Not only do I feel much more confident in my upcoming year, but I also have so many friends by my side now to cheer me on.

I know the best is yet to come.