A year ago today I graduated from high school. A year ago today, I was filled with hopes and utter excitement of what was to come when I started my new journey into adulthood, independence, and college. A year ago today, I couldn't wait to breathe in the air at Rutgers and begin my trek towards my future aspirations. A year ago today, I told myself I would let nothing get in the way of my success and I would exceed and thrive at Rutgers.

Flash forward to six months later, I was depleted of all hope. I thought to myself, can I do this anymore? Am I capable of succeeding and achieving my goals? Is it too much to handle? Have my dreams been crushed? Is any of this stress and hard work worth it? I was in a pretty bad place in terms of my confidence and how much I believed in myself.

Today, I don't know all of the answers to my questions. Today, I am still scared of what is to come and whether I will be able to make myself and everyone around me proud. But today, I am full of hope again. Today, I know that this is what life and adulthood are. It's testing your limits and pushing you to the point where you want to give up, but the true test is whether you keep fighting or succumb. I've learned a lot in the past year about myself, but most importantly I learned that I am capable of succeeding and achieving my goals. Today I am once again the girl who walked across the stage and accepted her diploma beamingly again.

A year from now, I hope that I am still as optimistic as I am today. I hope that I have furthered my career goals and am making myself proud. A year from now, I hope I never doubt myself again and am still filled with ambition and drive. A year from now, I hope I still have the vision of the girl who accepted her high school diploma two years ago.