I transferred to East Carolina University from out of state and it may very well be one of, if not the, best decision of my life so far. Now, normally I would write about national news, current events, or something political. But, I feel like this is the one necessary headline on which I should elaborate. ECU has given me the start of one of the best experiences I could imagine, and for that I am thankful.

1. For Helping Students Find Their Passions

When I came to ECU, I had literally no idea what I wanted to do in 4 years, nor where I saw myself in any amount of time afterwards. My intended major was something I figured out I really didn't like, and even my advisor told me though he hates losing people from the department, he knew I wouldn't be happy. So I changed it, and I changed it again. I feel as though almost every student here has gone through that, and it's okay. But we owe a lot of gratitude to our staff and advisors for helping us, honestly, along the way.

2. For Still Making it Fun

College is stressful. College is stress. College is difficult. It's challenging, and it's been the reason for many, many panic attacks and "How to Get Rich without a Degree" Google searches. But it's different when you're at Carolina Kickoff, or at a football game, or tailgate, or at a party surrounded by other pirates. Maybe, you're at Pirates After Dark, you're with your Greek brothers or sisters...you get this feeling-and only pirates will know. It's this weird, yet perfectly vivid combination of pride, premature nostalgia, happiness and you paying just a little more attention because you know you won't be in that exact moment again.

3. For Making Me Put Myself First

You know in high school, how you're constantly worried about if somebody likes you or not? Or if you look OK? Or if somebody's going to tell everybody your secret? How sometimes you had these weird lonely breakdowns about how no body likes you and no matter how many times your Dad told you eventually those kids insulting you wouldn't even be important enough for you to remember their name? ECU forced me to not care for that sort of negativity. It taught me that I'm here for academic lessons, life lessons, connections, nothing by positive vibes and most importantly, a degree. It made me realize that there is absolutely no one, and nothing more important than the person you're creating and the work you're putting in to become that person.

4. For Forcing Me to Manage My Time

In high school, I didn't have much of an issue or a reason to manage my time because there was no part of my life that was challenging to manage and if it was, I had my Momma right there to guide me. When I came here, however many miles away, I was handed more responsibility and I was held to a higher standard. Suddenly, I was surrounded by way more people than usual, and I was being challenged academically in ways I hadn't been before. Suddenly, some Friday nights had to be sacrificed. Suddenly, I was showing up late to classes to do homework for other classes. Eventually though, I figured it out. Granted, it was in the way that kids whose parents throw them into a pool to teach them to swim, figure out how to swim, but nonetheless,it's a valuable asset.

5. For Making Me Appreciate My Family More

I've always been kind of independent, but I've always had my parents and siblings to catch me if I fell. Here, they weren't able to be there as much. They spent the first month freaking out because there wasn't much more they could do than what they were already doing. Suddenly, I saw their effort much more because I wasn't surrounded by it. I had to make my own appointments, and it was terrifying. I wasn't coming home from practice to my Dad on the grill, I was coming back to a dining hall-and while we appreciate you, ECU Campus DIning- you'll never compare to our parents, and while I love my friends, I'll never have one as great as my Momma, big sister, nor my super silly niece and nephew, and definitely not my dog.

6. For Giving Me a Home Away from Home

I love my friends, and my advisor, and whenever I have an issue there's someone to call, from our professors to ECUPD, to student health, to our friends, there's always someone at the other end of the line. So thank you, ECU, for taking care of us when we really need it. We're handed tons of opportunities, make tons of connections, and tons of friends. ECU has helped me find new hobbies, new passions, and it helped me overcome a lot and has taught me a lot of skills already. Whether they be singing in front of an audience, or knowing that the "all" that you've given really wasn't your all, or having better people skills, ECU is on the thank you list. Pirate Nation is a home for pirates past, present and future and it gives everybody in it a sense of belonging and a second purple and gold family. For that, I'm eternally grateful.