I came into college with every intention of excelling in my academics and showing the world what I was made of. I've since then shifted my flow. I went from thinking that college was all about academics, to knowing that it is about growing as a person. It's a shift from who you were to who you want to be—this change is your knowledge, your social skills, your priorities.

The first semester of college, I got a 3.0 and that to me was an accomplishment after looking back on my high school grades and factoring in the shift in the complexity of the work and assignments. Since that first semester, my grades have gone up and up and up. I'm proud to say that a 3.5 is where I'm sitting now. This is a big accomplishment to some because at my school it means I'm on the Dean's List, but others think it isn't as great as it could be.

A 3.5 to me is AMAZING. I'm an education major, a proud member of an organization that has brought me close to some great new friends, a writer on Odyssey, a volunteer at a local school, and a proud working student. My life is busy. I have more than 15 credit hours a semester, I have hours dedicated to my other activities, I have homework, and I have friends that I desperately want to spend more time with.

My leadership skills have grown by working and participating in an organization like College Mentors for Kids more than would have if I was focusing on a 4.0. My social skills have grown more in my activities more than they would have if I was always hitting the books. My personality has shaped and evolved into a person who is more open and understanding than it would have if I was always at the library alone.

I have grown, and I did it without a 4.0.