There comes a time in every teenagers’ life when they need to decide what they want to do with their life. Some want to become a nurse, doctor, lawyer, or engineer. This decision usually happens around their senior year of high school.

College right after high school was the best choice for me. It seemed like a good plan to get a degree. My parents supported this, they had been saving my entire life for college. Eventually, it was time to pick a college. It was not easy. I had to visit multiple schools until I found one I liked and could visualize myself there. I picked one that was far enough from home to where I did not have to see my family all the time, but was also close enough to home that I could get there relatively easily. I am currently a freshman and I am happy with my decision.

I remember the day I left home. My mom cried as soon as we got in the car but I reminded her I will not be gone for long. I was excited because I knew welcome week started on move-in day and I knew it would be a ton of fun. I also knew I would be home the weekend after welcome week because I was going to a Luke Bryan concert. My classes started soon enough, and then I was a college student.

Time flies by at school and each week I am excited to make plans and go to new events, and maybe even join a club. There are many opportunities for me to express myself and do what I want to do on my own time. So far, college has been pretty stressful at some points but it is also very fulfilling when I know that I had a good week and accomplished something that I thought I could not do. The feeling of accomplishment is not only for college students though. I have friends in the military who should also feel accomplished and proud of themselves because I know I am proud of them.

Some of my friends took a different route than I did after high school. Seven of them joined the military. That is a life changing decision after high school all right, but most of them wanted to join since they were little kids. During their senior year, they had to pick a branch instead of a college. This differs from me because I did not have to sign a contract to the college I picked, but they signed a contract to serve the country. Picking a college may not have been easy for me but I bet choosing to join the military instead of doing something else with their life was a more difficult decision (for the few who had to decide between college or the military).

Each one of my seven friends decided they wanted to join the United States Marine Corps. One by one, I said my goodbyes to them the night before each one left for 3 months to go to boot camp. Knowing that they had to leave pretty much everything and everyone behind to learn a new life style probably was not easy for them to cope with. I could see the fear and excitement on each of their faces when I hugged them goodbye. They were unsure of what exactly was going to happen next, but I had faith in them. Eventually, they each earned the title of a United States Marine. Having all that they accomplished during boot camp, they deserve that title and it will be with them for the rest of their life.

Now, I can tell sometimes they struggle with the many rules and regulations they have to follow and the orders they have to take. Being away from family and friends without a choice must be difficult but that is just another reason why I am so proud of all of them. Even if some of my friends cannot wait to get out of the military, they should know that what they are doing right now is something that most people could never do so, they should not give up just yet.

The distance can be difficult. I would not have been able to leave for a week and then go home for a concert if I was in the military. I would have to stay wherever I needed to be and like it. My friends did not get to choose how close or how far they wanted to be from home like I did. Sometimes, they do not even know when they are coming home or if they can, but when they do come home it is the best feeling to know they are okay and hear their crazy stories.

The sacrifices my friends make each day amaze me because they are still so young but they are so incredibly strong. I may not get to talk to them much anymore because they are stationed all over the US and a couple are getting deployed soon, but I can tell they are changing. They are changing for the better and have learned things they would have never learned without joining the military. To my friends and everyone else serving our great country, thank you for your service.

So, maybe going to college was the right decision for me and maybe joining the military was the right decision for them (I mean they do get free college after so it might have been a smart move) but I think no matter what anyone chooses to do with their life is based on a factor of courage. It takes courage to make decisions.

Do you have enough courage to pick a major and be great inside and outside the classroom? Or do you have even more courage to pick a life of uncertainty but know you will be a part of something great, doing something great? Either way, the choices you make will have an impact on your life, hopefully for the better, and you will hopefully grow or are still growing to become a courageous person with many people who are proud of you.