Growing up, I attended a school about half an hour away from the high school I graduated from. I attended elementary and middle school with kids I had known since forever and would always remember our "prime" ages. But that high school population from that community was more than triple the size of my late high school's population.

My graduating class consisted of roughly 270 students. My town is extremely close, it's like you're walking around town and you can see someone you know every five feet. The commencement ceremony in-and-of-itself was like the entire community coming together to celebrate another group of "wonderful" individuals moving onto the next chapter of their lives.

In my four years at Hobart High School, the largest class size I had was 34 kids. The class occurred during the second semester of my senior year and was taught by a phenomenal lady that I do not think I can ever forget. She's the reason I decided on education, but I don't think I ever told her that (sorry Mrs. Roach). When I went to orientation, I found out my Speech lecture would consist of roughly 250 kids in a lecture hall.

Going from a classroom to a lecture hall may be the hardest part of transitioning in the education aspect, but leaving home might be the most overwhelming aspect of it all.

As I've grown up and become my own person, I've realized that family has become the most important part of everyone's life, regardless of the circumstances. Family is always there and continues to support even the goofiest of ideas and through the roughest of times. Family is what helps develop the person you become and continue to develop into. Whenever something bad happens, I know my family is there for me to fall back on.

Friends. The friends we had when we started high school may or may not be the same friends we walked out of high school with for the last time. For me, my group of friends has been the same for the last five years. I have gained some friends, but not necessarily lost any. My friends have been the second biggest group of supporters. They have pushed me beyond my limits academically and without having some of them with me in this next chapter of my life, I'm not entirely sure where all of the motivation will come from, but I know they're always a phone call away. Friends play a huge role in everything. Without the relationships we have, we could not develop into loving, caring, kindhearted individuals that our parents hope and pray we become.

Moving onto the next chapter of my life will be extremely difficult and challenging, yet I know that I have a support system we all need and desire to have. If I can transition from a small town to a big university, I have faith in all of you.

Coming from an unknown, unpopular town in Northwest Indiana, I think even the smallest of schools can give the benefits and encouragement to create a greater individual.

Good luck to the rest of the individuals in the graduating classes of 2017, I know that transitioning is going to be hard, but keep in mind, you're not the only one going through the hard time.

With all my love and hope,

The Nervous Freshman