Growing up in a small suburban city in Pennsylvania, I never knew anything but my home. The only thing to do that was relatively close was to go to Hershey Park. Even though it’s among the list of the best amusement parks in North America, going there so often makes it lose its buzz, it gets boring. Other than that, all my home has near it is farmland.

When I started looking at colleges freshman and sophomore year of high school, I knew I wanted to get relatively far away. I wanted to go to where the beach was because living central PA, the closest beach to me was Lake Eerie which no one goes to and it was a hike.

Coastal was at the top of my list, but I never thought I’d be able to go because I didn’t think my mom would be okay with me going ten hours from home. It wasn’t until after I had toured the only two schools in PA that appealed to me and decided I didn’t like either that my mom said we could tour Coastal.

When I first got to the campus I immediately fell in love. The campus was a perfect size, it was easy to navigate, and the people were so friendly. The difference in attitudes from the North to the South is ASTONISHING. Nobody talks to you up North, not like they do here. The buildings weren’t huge and intimidating, it was perfect. I knew that I wanted to go there.

After applying and getting my acceptance, I set up my orientation. It was about halfway through the summer and I was nervous. When it comes to making new friends, I’m incredibly reserved. Once I get comfortable I open up, but I’m not the type to talk to every person I see. I made a few friends but nobody I kept in touch with when we left. After staying there overnight and still loving the school, I was excited to start in a few weeks.

About three days before leaving to move in, I had a mental breakdown. And by breakdown, I mean BREAKDOWN. I told my mom I wasn’t going and had already found and applied to a school that I could commute to from home. This was when my stepdad pulled me aside and had a serious talk with me.

He told me I didn’t have a choice, that he wished he had the opportunity I was given and he wasn’t going to let me give it up.

He told me that I was going to make friends and have the best four years of my life, and I trusted him.

I made friends and have stuck with them since the beginning of freshman year. I began doing some volunteer work. I found myself.

Two years in, and he was right.