Now that it is June, the countdown for high school students to graduate has officially begun. I remember being in the position of a high school senior, about a year ago from right now. Looking back on this time in my life, I can't help but notice the changes that have taken place within myself over the past year.

During the days approaching graduation, I was filled with bittersweet feelings. Excited about the future but nervous to leave everything I knew best, it was a tumultuous time. I thought that my friends from high school would remain my friends throughout the following years, but as Thanksgiving break, winter break, spring break, and eventually summer break have come and gone, I have spent time with less and less of the people that I graduated with. College forms you into the person that you're meant to be, and sometimes this process involves growing apart from people you once thought you'd be friends with forever. Current high school seniors who are about to graduate, keep this in mind. Spend as much time as you can with your closest friends this summer because chances are, a year from now you'll come home and realize how much you've all grown apart.

A year ago today, I was anxious about leaving home for college and excited to be soon going to orientation at Ithaca College. What I didn't know then, however, was that I would only be attending Ithaca for one semester before transferring to St. Bonaventure. Life doesn't always go the way we have planned, and I've learned to accept this fact and go wherever life takes me. Attempting to plan out every minute of your life usually only leads to disappointment when things don't turn out the way they were supposed to.

A year ago today, I was tired of the rules that made me feel like I was still 14 years old. I thought that I was independent enough to go live on my own. However, college showed me how nice it is to come home, even if there is more freedom at school. Like they say, "college makes you miss home and home makes you miss college." Being at school makes me so much more appreciative of everything that my family does at home, and being at home makes me realize how lucky I am to go to such an amazing school that I had already begun to miss days after coming home for the summer.

The past year has been a learning experience for me -- probably the most important one that I've had so far. Not only has it made me grow as a person, it has forced me to become more appreciative of the places and people that I love. At this time last year I was more naive then I am now, but I know that with every year that passes I will continue to learn and grow.