Taking a leave of absence made me realized how much I love and belong at Westminster. The campus is beautiful, I’ve made amazing friends. My first semester of college was not great, I was negative about everything and I honestly didn’t care if I was doing well in my classes. I’m so glad I took the time to go home and find myself, so I can come back next semester and kick butt. If it wasn’t for the friends that I have at Westminster I wouldn’t be alive today. I went down a dark path these past few months with anxiety and depression. But I’m on the upside of everything now and I’m coming back stronger than ever.

I’m also thankful for soccer even though all I saw was negatives at the time, I can look back and see huge positives. I made great friends and I’m positive that they will last a lifetime. Soccer was my escape even though days didn’t feel like it helped at all. Soccer has always been my passion and I’m not going to let anything ruin that. Now I can’t say that I’m 100% better but I’m getting there with baby steps but baby steps come a long way after a while.

Finding your home away from home is so important because it is your safe place. It's where you feel comfortable and you can be yourself. And having friends that love and support you also go a long way. Some days I feel like I have made no progress in getting better and that I won’t be able to come back. But then I stop and actually think and look at how far I’ve come. I am so much better than I was just a few weeks ago, and I will continue to make progress to get better.