Imagine you only have four years to live out your entire life. Four years to give back. Four years to love and be loved. Four years to make a lasting impact on your friends, family, and community. Four years to be remembered. For Grant Gossling, this was his unfortunate circumstance. At the age of two, Grant was diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma, a solid tumor cancer. After a strong fight, battling through this terrible disease, Grant died at the age of four.

At UGA Miracle's Dance Marathon on February 22, I heard his family tell his story which brought about so many thoughts. Four years is the same amount of time spent in high school and then again in college. Grant only had four years to make his mark – living a positive and uplifting life despite a troubling situation. College students only have four years to make a difference as a student. Four years to give back and learn from your peers. Only four years to find your passion, be your genuine self and figure out your future.

With the stressors of tests, assignments, work and outside organizations, giving back is rarely a person's first choice. However, Grant's story and Dance Marathon helped to show me the importance of putting service and volunteering as a priority throughout college. There are so many ways to get involved that do not require money or fundraising – an aspect of helping others which draws people away. Through volunteering with organizations throughout your four years in college, your contribution can easily make an impact in another person's life.

So many people do not believe that they can make a difference; however, more hands do make for light work. If more people had a positive mentality, hoping to give back to their community and the less fortunate, their actions would have significant results for the better. It is so easy to believe that you cannot impact the world, yet you are as powerful as you allow yourself to be. If you live every day like it is your last, take that chance, shoot that shot, and push past your potential, you can leave a lasting impression on another person and your campus as a whole.

Grant Gossling used his short yet positive life to illustrate the importance of dreaming and achieving. In only four years he made his mark in the world, something that people spend their entire lives trying to do. So with his story in mind, live. Live every day. Live for yourself and the people who love you. Live for those who are not able to anymore. Live while you are both young and old. Live a life free of regrets by doing anything and everything that your heart may desire. More importantly, recognize. Recognize both your abilities and capabilities. Recognize the impact you have made thus far and hope to make. Recognize that every day is a gift, and above all, that life itself is a Miracle.

While money is not the only option to give back, it has the ability to make a lasting impact for so many children and families. If you wish and feel inclined to, follow this link to donate to my UGA Miracle fundraising page: https://www.facebook.com/donate/474908769790233/?fundraiser_source=external_url

Other ways to give back to children affected by life-threatening illnesses can be found with the Make A Wish Foundation. To find your local chapter, follow this link: https://wish.org/local-chapters