I have always been the kind of person to look to the future. Look ahead and dream about what is to come. As a freshman in high school I would think about what my high school years would hold, all the adventures, what sort of GPA I wanted to graduate with, etc. As a senior, I thought about what college I would attend, where I would live, and what major to press toward. As a freshman in college, I debated what program to be a part of. As a senior in college I am now pondering about what in the world am I going to do with this degree I have worked so long toward, what will my life be like after graduation, etc. Even beyond that, where in the world will I call home?

One thing that these last four years have taught me is to plan, make goals, get pumped, but also to not hold on so tightly to the reins and let nothing be set in stone. As a senior in high school, my dream was to attend Grand Canyon University (GCU). I always thought I would dorm on campus, beginning the best four years among friends. Due to financial burdens put on my family I was unable to. After choosing to attend community college, I thought my dreams had been crushed. For the next two years, I went to school full time while working full time, staying close to home. Friendships were strained during this time due to distance and I felt alone.

After completing two years, and achieving my Associate’s Degree, I finally transferred to GCU. From the moment I stepped onto campus, I could have just balled my eyes out. To finally be where I had been wanting to be, for two plus years was a beautiful and humbling moment. I met some friends, kept my job close to home, and commuted.

Not too long into my first semester, our family business needed some extra hands. I ended up working there part-time, at my primary job full-time and attempting to hold down school as well. Needless to say, it was a mess. My grades suffered that semester, and I felt like I was slowly, but surely sinking. By the end of my junior year, I felt like all hope was lost. I ended up paying for school out of pocket, which was not fun & very stressful.

Although I was distressed, I still knew what I wanted, and still want -- my degree. I will be the first in my immediate family, among four siblings and two parents to have attended university and receive my diploma. I know that my heart yearns to set foot on foreign soil. Wanderlust is in my blood. Every piece of me wants to pour out love and hope to the lost. I want to make the lives around me better and find the good in the darkest places. To create this ultimate being that I can be proud of. I want to be able to look back on these years and know that I did everything in my power to be the best me, I could be. These are the things that continually fuel my soul.

I have found myself in places I did not plan, along paths that I never wanted to be. I thought life always had to go one way, that there was a right way to transition from high school to college life. I felt like I had failed somehow, I didn’t do things like “everyone else.” I had to struggle from time to time. Truth is, there is no “perfect” path you have to follow, despite what movies, friends or family may say. The best thing you can do is to move forward. Do the best with what you have, that is what matters. No matter how slow time seems to be moving, NEVER lose heart or sight of where you want to be. Don’t allow your surroundings to dictate and control your self-perception, nor your upbeat outlook on life. Focus on building yourself up, if things around you seem to be going astray. Be bold in your words, your thoughts, and your actions.

1 Timothy 4:12

“Do not let anyone treat you as if you are unimportant because you are young. Instead, be an example to the believers with your words, your actions, your love, your faith, and your pure life.”