The weeks leading up to recruitment were some of the most nail-biting days of my life. I was extremely nervous and had no idea what the future held for me. These were the girls I was going to spend the majority of my college career with and I knew I wanted the best situation to happen to me -- luckily the best did come.

I have always been the kind of extrovert who can easily be an introvert, meaning I know when to be outgoing but also when I should be calm and collected. Growing up, that made me seem fake to many of my peers. I would put on a genuine smile and because I can turn that smile off, I was never seen as a genuine human being, making it extremely hard to make friends. Going into recruitment, I was worried about that kind of judgment following me; I was worried I wasn't going to end up with the girls I loved because I didn't seem genuine. I was worried I wouldn't be seen as the positive and heartfelt girl I am.

I went into each house with an open mind and tried being the best version of myself possible.

I would talk about anything from my love for Disney and dogs to my dreams in life and the love and support I was given was something I hadn't ever received in high school.

The last few days, as the number of houses I could visit were winding down, I began to see much more of myself in each and every girl I met. I was able to hear about their passions, their favorites, likes and dislikes, but most of all, I noticed how only 20 minutes of human interaction can have a big impact on another person. Sitting in those intimate rooms during Preference Night and reading the kind things that people who are ultimately strangers say to you and about you in letters made me sob.

Recruitment taught me quite a bit about myself and how I perceive the world around me and taught me more about unconditional love than ever before.

I never realized that just in a few minutes of getting to know someone that a person can truly change their whole perspective of the world. I am a very positive and goal driven person and hearing what each girl had to say to me mad me see that I am not alone in this world, especially considering I was so nervous going into it. I was so scared of being perceived as something I'm not.

I ended up in a house that loves me for who I am and is inspired by my positive outlook on life. I learned that we are our own worst critics and that high school is in the past. If we don't stop rereading the last chapters of our life, we will never get to see what happens next in the story. We miss out on what's right in front of us and let our past define who we are when we are a population full of strong people. Your past doesn't define you and the right people for you will come to you as long as you stay true to yourself, and that is what rush truly taught me.