When preparing to leave home for the first time to go to college, it can seem quite intimidating. Impossible almost. Coming from a girl who had never been so ready to leave her hometown and get a new start, the adjustment that is college is something that is extremely difficult to make and stared me straight in the face with abrupt change.
Leaving home was something I had wanted for myself since I was a little girl. I had this dream of attending the University of Kentucky at the young age of seven. I was a competitive cheerleader and my whole world seemed to revolve around that. I was at Cheerport, one of the world's largest cheerleading competitions, when I stood on a chair in the back of the arena and watched the University of Kentucky compete for the first time.
Growing up in Atlanta with parents from Philadelphia, I was heavily exposed to three major universities by the time I was seven. Villanova, Penn State, and UGA. Villanova and Penn state had both been drilled into my brain from the time I was born. Being a legacy from both schools, it seemed inevitable that I would end up attending one of those universities. However, seven year old me had a completely different plan for my life. I stood on that chair at that cheer competition and looked down at my mom saying, "Mom, this is going to be me one day. I want to be a Kentucky Wildcat!" Who knew at age seven I would have picked my future for myself.
Fast forward to my junior year. College athletic recruiting and SAT/ACT testing was in full swing. All my friends and I were focused on one thing. College.
At the time, I was a swimmer and did not see myself attending a school to further my swimming career. Instead, that little seven year olds dream spread like wildfire. I became so determined to attend the University of Kentucky that nothing could stop me.
Senior year rolls around and it is time to begin the college application process.
My aunt Maureen had given me some great advice about this time of year: Apply to all your potential schools BEFORE Thanksgiving because a majority of the schools have rolling admission, meaning there is no set acceptance date. Applying before Thanksgiving gives you a better chance of getting into your school by Christmas, and it's one less thing you have to worry about over the holidays!
Taking my aunt's advice, all of my college applications were done well before Thanksgiving. It was the last Saturday of Thanksgiving when I went out to the mailbox to check the mail. I walked back into the house, flipping through the mail when a blue envelope caught my eye. It was my admissions letter from my dream school. I was shaking as I told my parents this was the moment of truth.
I quickly tore open the envelope and in it was a letter. I skimmed the letter to find the word, "Congratulations!" I instantly broke down into tears of joy, beyond excited to be attending my dream school.
I ran upstairs to get my favorite Kentucky t-shirt at the time and took a picture holding a poster that said, "I'm Going to See Blue." I announced via Instagram that I would be continuing my academic career at the school I had been dreaming about for so long.
I am currently getting ready to start my sophomore year the University of Kentucky and I am so excited to continue my academic career at my dream school.
