A day doesn't go by where I don't think about how lucky I am to go to ASU.

In my opinion, Arizona State University is the best school. And I'm not even talking about being #1 in innovation, or being ninth in the nation for the most employable graduating class.

I'm talking about how happy the school makes me. How wonderful my friends are. How amazing the weather is.

When I first came to ASU, I was extremely nervous and had no idea what to expect. I was moving out of a sheltered life in Texas to the biggest university in the country. Saying goodbye to southern hospitality, and hello to rambunctious college students.

However, when I settled into my dorm, and met the kids on my floor, I began to feel at home quicker than I ever thought I would. I fell into an easy schedule, I joined a sorority, and I made quick friends.

I think it was the people who I attached myself to most. My friend group was from totally different backgrounds, but we somehow fit together and made it work perfectly. My freshman year, we were inseparable.

Now that we're growing up and maturing into our college years, it's very telling to myself that Arizona State changed me for the better. I'm laughing more. I feel less stressed. It's as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. College had changed me for the better, and I have no one to thank but Arizona State itself.

Going forward, I think it's important to myself to remember what I learned my freshman year. Now, halfway into my sophomore year, I'm still growing and I'm still learning. I'm going to go through countless obstacles and I'll see many hardships. I'll have bad days and I'll witness heartbreaks, but at the end of the day, I have the university and my friends to fall back on. Because of them, I am who I am today.

So thank you, Arizona State, for making me the best person I could possibly be.