Last week a roller coaster of emotions rushed through my body. Wednesday was my last “first day of school” for my undergraduate degree. That’s right, this girl graduates in May and is getting ready to start the next chapter in her life! Despite the excitement, I have to admit that I was nervous. I came to SFA as a freshman from a small town outside of Houston, and I am now getting ready to leave Nacogdoches with a whole new mindset than the one I came here with. Now that I’m about to graduate, I want to look back at my time here at SFA.
I came to SFA with a dream of becoming a nurse. That didn’t work out so well. Being away from home for the first time and not being used to being on my own allowed me to slack off with my school work. I was away from friends, family, and loved ones, and I didn’t know how to handle it. I fell down a slippery slope with my grades and my mental health. I knew in my second semester, I wasn’t going to make it if I didn’t take control of my life. So, after my chemistry final, I marched into the Ferguson building and changed my major to what I was passionate about; English. I have so much respect for all the nursing majors here, but it just wasn’t for me. My fascination was always with reading and literature just like my mom before me. I went through the rest of my semester as an English major, and I truly believe that it was the best move for me. After this major change in my life, I felt more like myself and ready to take the next steps toward my future.
Figure 1 My family and I when I was younger.
So here I am, a senior in college, getting ready to send in applications for graduate school. My hope is to go to Texas Tech University and get a certification in publishing and editing. I’m moving in with my boyfriend after years of being in a long-distance relationship. I’m moving not two hours away from home, but eight- the farthest I’ve ever been from home. Luckily, I have my close friends and family, who are always there for me to help me with these big changes coming into my life. Without them and their guidance and friendship, there is no telling where I would be now.
Figure 2 My closest friends and I.
If I could give any advice to any person starting out in college or even someone like me who is about to start the next step in their life; it would be this:
Change is a good thing. It may terrify you, but in the end, without the change, we wouldn’t be able to grow into the men and women we are meant to be.
So go out and make the change. Make the people who helped you along proud. Show them that you can be that person that you are meant to be.