When you and your sister have grown up together, you learn a lot about who the other person is. You do not know a reality without her in your space. You do not remember a time when the furthest she was from you was no more than a mile away. Then your world changes, and so does hers. It happens when you go away to college and leave her behind.

Being the older sibling, for the most part, entails doing everything first. But this first came for both of us at the same time, the first time we lived without each other. After a year of that, we are preparing to welcome a new transition. As she enters the last few months of her senior in high school, I get ready to accept the reality that she too is moving on. Many of my friends at school are interested in her plans to attend college. The reality is that my family, nor myself know where she will end up, for now.

My biggest wish for her in her last months of high school is that they are the best of her time there so far. Before she heads off to college, she obviously has to decide where she is going. It seems to me that the time for her to decide is stretching centuries rather than mere weeks at this point. I cannot lie, I am rooting for her to come to Virginia Tech. At least I know that if she comes here, she will be a part of something that I know will welcome her with open arms. I also know that being a Hokie means much more than just being a college student. Being a Hokie is being a part of a worldwide family. I know that my university will work hard to make her experience the best it can be. That is all I want for her, to be in a place that values her as much as she values it.

It is a bittersweet feeling to watch her grow up along side me. I know her success will not be determined by the university she chooses. Rather, that place will enhance her almost as much as she will enhance it. Her success will not be measured by the colors she chooses to wear. Her success will be determined by the things she chooses to get involved in. The difference she will make will be her legacy. In a few months, she will have graduated high school and her legacy will be clear to see.

This stage in her life is a milestone. I am more than proud of how far she has come. Only she can decide how far she will really go. I have no doubt that she will go above and beyond, just the way she always has. I know that her drive and determination are the same things that will help her thrive, regardless of what academic institution she attends.