I have lived in Massachusetts all my life, in a suburb without much religious or ethnic diversity. I was incredibly close with my family and my friends, and there were clearly many outstanding universities near my home. So, people often ask me why I decided to take my studies all the way to California, leaving behind the comfort of what I had always known to move to a great big city and a school with endless amounts of diversity and culture.

Above the fact that USC is exactly what I was looking for in a university: It did frighten me. It scared me, a New England girl at heart, that they don’t wear Lilly here in California. It scared me that I was moving so far away from my family and my comfy bed. But what’s life if I’m always comfortable? What’s life without being shocked with a new culture and new people and new places? If we don’t step out of our comfort zones, and we don’t exercise our courage, we won’t grow. We won’t experience it all. That is why I took a risk and tried something new.

And honesty, it was the best choice I’ve ever made. Sure, I get a bit jealous when my roommate gets to see her parents who can easily drive up and say hello. I get sad when I’m stressed out by the never-ending impending premed deadlines, and I can’t give my mom or dad a hug to make all the anxiety go away. But I’ve learned incredible, irreplaceable lessons from being off on my own, and I wouldn’t change this experience for the world.

I’ve met people from several different countries, tried new ethnic food, learned to take the metro, and figured out how to do my own laundry. I've hiked to the Hollywood sign (three times!), adventured in Santa Monica, and seen TV shows and movies being filmed.

I have a whole new home here, a home that I can share with my family, helping them experience something new. I feel as though I would have been limited if I had stayed close to home, always having the lifeline of my parents to help me out if things got tough. But here, the only way my parents can help is by talking to me over the phone.

I would encourage, more than anything, all students to take a leap for college. This is the one time in your life when you can jump into a culture completely different from your own, and take it in for a full four years. If worst comes to worst, your home will always be there waiting for you, but this opportunity to explore someplace new is a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

My college experience has been enriched by coming to a school 3,000 miles away, not knowing anyone, and just going for it. I believe that college is more than academics. It’s about personal growth. The world is so much bigger than your hometown, and the world is yours to explore. Take advantage of it.