As high school students wait on responses from their dream colleges, they hold big dreams. For some, those dreams consist of plans that seem clearly defined, as others set out on the adventure to find where their passions lie. For reference sake, I believed I was one of those kids who knew exactly what she wanted, and exactly how she wanted to achieve it. In my mind I knew exactly what school I wanted to attend, what major I wanted to pursue, and how they would take me to my dream career. I thought I had everything figured out, because when you are a high school senior, you think every step toward college is a progressive step forward. Oh how wrong I was.
Exactly 365 days ago, I received acceptances from two colleges. One was my dream school, with a large and lively campus, and more classes available than I could ever count. If I went there, everyone would pat me on the back and know what I had achieved simply by looking at my sweatshirt. Hey, a little pride is healthy, right?
The other school was considerably smaller in a quaint little town. Few people had heard of it before, even though it was my acceptance with the lowest acceptance rate. None of my friends knew any names of athletes at the school, and I had never met anyone who had ever gone. To be honest, I only applied because my mom really wanted me to.
Saying my first year at college derailed from my original plan is the understatement of the decade. Parents and counselors will say that a minor set back is normal, and that you can progress from a step back. What no one ever mentions is how that step backward might really mean five leaps to the right, eighteen steps over the river, through the words, up a mountain, and six jumping jacks in place. Because maybe, in fact most likely, you have so many more interests than you ever thought were possible. Maybe you never imagined that this mess of an adventure might lead you further from a high school goal, but would guide you to the doorstep of what you were always meant to do.
High school was an age of invisible limitations - ones you never realized shackled the imagination. In high school, I never thought I would write for the newspaper, or become an athletic trainer learning how to treat injuries. I never thought I would conduct research in my first year, or get dunked in a fountain for my birthday. I never expected the amazing community of friends and mentors I have who support me. But, most of all, I never expected to be excited about the idea of changing my career plans.
I did not go to what I thought was my dream school; I went exactly where I needed to be. So to all the high school seniors stressed about the next step, worry in moderation - but have the confidence that the right place will reveal itself to you. Your first year in college will take you on the craziest ride you have ever experienced. The most exciting part is that the best is yet to come.
