At my high school graduation, I remember hugging one of my best friends, Megan, and tearing up as I said, "I can't believe it is all over." And like a perfect movie ending, she smiled back and responded with, "It's only just beginning." The credits rolled to my high school career, and the day I never thought would come passed me by. To give a little perspective, I'd like you to imagine yourself in my shoes. I grew up with the same 40 people, in the same school and in the same tiny, tiny town. I lived in the same house all my life, never knowing another place. My world was one small space. My mom asked me if I did my homework and made sure I was awake in the mornings. My worries involved who I was going to the game with on Friday night and the math test I forgot to study for. You think you are independent and can conquer the world at sixteen. But maybe that's because you just got your driver's license and the freedom is getting to your head.

It is very different thinking you can live on your own versus doing it. It's a lot different when you no longer ask your parents for money and start trying to save your own. I feel like I have learned more about myself through college. I have solidified likes and dislikes, I know what character traits I value in a person and in myself, and I realize that even now, in college, it is just the beginning. I feel like a grown up when I model my actions and activities in preparation for my life in 6 years. It is never to early to start preparing! For once, I feel like I have a solid direction and that I know where I am going. (Maybe I don't know, but at least I feel like I have everything under control.) I am not doing my school work because I have to- I am doing it because I want to succeed. It is challenging, but it feels good to dedicate my time and efforts toward something I am passionate about. I am proud of myself for adjusting to this new and very different environment, for improving my time management skills and cultivating new friendships (especially since I've had the same friends for 18 years). I am meeting other people who are invested in their line of work, like my professors whose life experiences I could only dream of. College is fun, but it is also more than that. The opportunities and experiences I have already had make me excited for the future. It really is only the beginning.