I really wanted to write that article, the one you've all read before, about the person who believed in me. I'm sure other people have too. Don't get me wrong, I know other people believe in me, are proud of me, so on and so forth. However, there's someone who believed in me who didn't have to, who didn't need to, but chose to. This is to that person.

Being on a small campus, you expect to get to know your professors and maybe I just wasn't ready for what that meant. I've spent the past year learning from an educator who not only challenges me constantly, but has instilled something more than just knowledge of this week's textbook chapter. This is someone who invested time and energy into making me more than just any average undergrad student.

I finally believe I can make it to grad school, when college wasn't an affordable option in the first place. I'm a first-generation college student, so navigating college has been puzzle after mystery after enigma.

Here's some of the wisdom he's passed on; Grad school isn't the next step after undergrad for most, but if you want it, then it can be. It takes tons of effort, constantly, to get there. What you can do instead is not worry about time. Go into the workforce and explore what you want to do, and even if you are sure of what you want, get some valuable experience for a few years. Then apply to graduate school and his contention is that you'd actually be closer to the top of the heap of applicants because you have experience.

This professor is now a friend and a valuable resource. Being that your professors are often in your field and eventually peers once you leave, I'd wager that these are people you should get to know. This is the value of small liberal arts colleges. This is why I suggest you take the opportunity to go.

I spent some time at a Pac-12 state school (Go Cougs!) and it was home. I was absolutely heartbroken when I had to transfer out, but as I said, college wasn't always an option. Community college was cool, I got an associate degree and all that jazz, but I knew it wasn't enough for me.

So here I am, at a small liberal arts college with so many resources at my disposal. It's a safe place to make mistakes, to learn and challenge yourself in a breadth of disciplines. Now at my wonderful school, I learned what it's like to have your educators see you not only as a student, but a person. Getting coffee or even going to your professor's house for dinner isn't unheard of, and yes, it still weirds me out.

These professors spend extra time to make sure you believe in yourself, and are challenging yourself to the maximum of your ability (and are totally comfortable letting you know when you're slacking).

So to the professor who believes in me, thank you. I don't think I'd have such great hopes for the future without you. I don't know that grad school would have ever been a blip on my radar, and now I have a whole world in front of me. You have no idea what that means to me. I won't let you down.