Monday, March 19, started off like any normal Monday for me. A normal Monday for everyone, I would assume.

But, around 8 p.m. that all changed. What would be categorized as an EF-3 tornado struck my hometown of Jacksonville, AL -- somewhere I have lived for the entire duration of my life. Leaving my own home in the midst of a tornado was scary enough, but the sights I saw after the tornado were much scarier.

The college I have attended for the past two years has suffered immense damage. The town I have lived in for my whole life has had it even worse. Trees litter the streets, and many houses are completely leveled. My hometown honestly looks like something you see in a magazine or movie, and honestly, it is something I thought would never happen to us.

So many of my memories have taken place in buildings on campus, and some of these buildings have literally built me. So many events during my childhood have taken place on this campus, and to see it in ruins really is devastating.

Like the Houston Cole Library where I participated in Scholars' Bowl tournaments from fifth grade all the way to being a senior in high school. We actually won first place a couple of times as well.

Or the Merrill Building, where I took the ACT and earned my full-ride scholarship with my score to the college I now attend.

This is Patterson Hall where I was lucky enough to meet the love of my life. The roof is simply lifted and demolished.

As you move across campus, you will see Pete Mathews' Coliseum where the brand new floor is ruined. I graduated high school in this coliseum. I gave my salutatorian speech in this coliseum that will never be the same.

In respect to privacy, I will not include pictures of the homes in Jacksonville that were destroyed, but if you were to look at the Northeast side of Jacksonville, you would see the total devastation. Old, historical homes have been devastated by 140mph winds that tore through my little hometown. People across the city were without power for days, and still many people are without homes.

Two enormous apartment complexes that house hundreds of JSU students were hit horribly. Students have not been able to retrieve their belongings for fear of buildings collapsing, and both apartment complexes are inhabitable.

Tornadoes are not a force to be reckoned with. They do not care who you are if you are in their way. They will destroy you. Despite a tornado ravaging our town, there was no loss of life. That is a true blessing.

But, our town of Jacksonville is strong. I have never seen more people willing to help and lend a hand to others in their community. The day after the tornado there were droves of people helping clear the roads and clean debris.

Alabama power fully restored power to each person who could get in under 72 hours. I have never seen a community work so hard to rectify things as I have seen my hometown.

I am, for once, proud to be from Jacksonville, AL.

Volunteers, donations, and overall well wishes and prayers have been our main focus in town. I have never seen so many people working to overcome an issue like I have the people of Jacksonville.

It will take weeks, and even months, but we will persevere. We will rise to the top like we always do and we will overcome this obstacle that has been thrown in our way. I know that soon enough we will be the same friendly town Jacksonville, AL has always been.

We are #JackonvilleStrong. We are #JSUStrong.

If you would like to help the relief efforts, donations can be given here. T-shirts can be purchased here. All the proceeds from these shirts will go to the tornado victims.