It did not occur to me that I was alone until I went to bed 1,400 miles away from my home. It was then that it hit me: I’m 18, on my own and for the next five weeks, my parents are not with me. I had been given an opportunity that would turn out to be the greatest and most challenging experience of my life.

I had applied for the position of Buddy Camp Counselor at Blindness: Learning In New Dimensions Inc., more commonly known as Blind Inc., in the spring of 2015. It was the last semester of high school and I didn’t have any concrete plans for the summer break. I could not think of anything better to do than give back to a place that gave me the skills that helped form the person I am today.

From the point of view of a student, teaching looks very easy — fun, really. In reality, however, it is a struggle. It didn’t take me long to realize that every individual learns differently, and as a teacher, it is important to be able to present a topic in diverse formats to enable the students to grasp concepts. I also learned that students do not always understand the lesson the first time (or the second time or the third time).

When we hit bumps in the road, I would teach them that, with hard work and determination, we could conquer each challenge together. As each day came to an end, I witnessed my students learn and gain skills that seemed insurmountable earlier in the day, validating that I had done my job well. Through all the peaks and valleys, seeing their successes always made up for the challenges.

At the end of program, it was hard to say goodbye to my charges, but I came to feel that I was not cut out to work with children or to teach at all. I was more certain than ever that I would stay on a pre-law track in college.

As my first year of college ended, I began to think differently. At Rollins, my professors were amazing and it was obvious as they went above and beyond for us; they loved teaching. That made a lasting impact upon me. It was during a meeting with one of my professors that I found myself gazing out her office window thinking, “I'll become a great college professor and make impressions on students that would last forever.”