Do you ever wonder how your life would be different if you made one decision differently? I do. When thinking about everything that has happened in my life, I realize that without those decisions I would not be where I am now, and I might not be as happy as I am now.

I often find myself thinking about sports--what if I had continued playing softball competitively, and never picked up a volleyball? I always thought that volleyball was the sport I was supposed to play, but why did I have more of a softball figure? Looking back, I believe now that I could've gone further with softball than I did with volleyball. But, I wouldn't have made the lasting friendships and connections that I made through both Rancho Volleyball and SoCal Volleyball. Those friends I made are lifetime friends, and I would never trade those for anything, even if it meant a possible scholarship at a different college.

In high school, I made many choices that have affected where I am today, but I feel the most important was in my senior year. I almost did not join ASB for my last year in school. I put it in my list of electives and applied just because my friends were doing it, and I thought it would look good on my college applications. Oh boy was I in for a surprise. ASB was a life changing experience for me and I learned so many valuable life skills. My leadership became much more developed, I began to come out of my shell, and I was able to tap into my creative side; at least a little bit. Becoming involved in the school in something other than sports was so important to me. I was able to plan everything from small events, to pep rallies, to homecoming and prom. If I never joined, I would've gone through my senior year without having a say in the events we did, and I would have most likely graduated feeling unfulfilled with my high school experience.

The most crucial decision of my life up to this point, however, is my choice of college. I originally was committed to the University of Hawaii at Manoa. I thought it was the perfect school for me, and that it would give me the chance to get closer to my roots on the island. But, I realized that going that far and being so close to my family wouldn't work out for me. I would also have to take out a huge loan because I got no financial aid. APU sort of fell into my lap, they had sent me a letter in the middle of May saying that they had updated my financial aid, so I would be getting more financial aid. Originally, APU was on the back burner, because I knew I didn't like Los Angeles at all. My mom convinced me to take a tour of the school, no strings attached- and that was it. I fell in love with the school, and how many friendly people there are here. I realized that my desire to grow closer to God was extremely crucial to me, and I unregistered from Hawaii. Looking back, I am so grateful that God put me on this path to meet my best friend and tons of new people, thrive academically, and grow closer in my relationship with Him.

I know now that all of the decisions in my life have been God's plan for me, and I'm excited and nervous to see what else he has in store for me.