As my junior year as an undergrad comes to a close, I find myself looking back on this previous school year.

Transferring to a university from a community college was quite the adjustment, and although I had friends and my boyfriend here to help, I still wasn't certain that the UW community would be all that glitters gold.

I got accepted to other universities that, though they were very expensive, offered some nice scholarships. However, my best friend at the time and my boyfriend both were going to UW and I wanted to remain close to them, regardless of what I thought the best school was for me.

But, as I would soon discover, UW was the perfect fit.

My first quarter was shaky.

I changed my major twice during Fall and Winter quarter; I couldn't quite find my place and the first several months were rough for me. I was struggling, going back and forth between pre-law and bio-med and I was in a rut. I was taking classes I didn't need, and a lot of my credits from my previous community college didn't transfer correctly causing me to panic that my future was going to remain undetermined.

And then, one day, I visited my academic counselor, and my world changed for the better.

I finally found my passion in writing and literature, and I joined UW's newspaper, "The Tacoma Ledger," as an opinion columnist. I began writing with Odyssey and several different platforms as a freelance writer. I got into the Arts, Media, and Culture major with an emphasis in writing.

I began to meet new friends within my newly found major, and I rocked Spring Quarter with a 4.0 in all of my classes.

There are countless reasons why I love the University of Washington, but the number one reason would be because of the opportunities it has given me.

I could go through the list of what I love about my school: the small classes, the professors who acknowledge you and know you by name, the courses offered, etc. But ultimately, I love the opportunities that this community gives me, and how it offers it's students real-world experiences.

With these experiences, I am proud to say that I am entering my senior year as the editor of "The Tacoma Ledger" opinion and A&E sections. I am the school mascot's (Hendrix the Husky) coordinator, in which I get to plan all of his appearances and events for him. I am a loyal content writer for the Odyssey UW community, which gives me a platform where my voice is heard.

I have had my work edited and published, giving me a real-world experience as well as having a teaching module I created sent to a middle school/high school for teachers to use in their class curriculum.

Because of UW, my dreams are coming true and I am taking the world by storm.

Despite all of the hesitations I had at the beginning of my journey at UW, I have grown to make this place my home. From going to football games with my boyfriend, to attending lectures by some of the most amazing professors, I have finally found the place in which I can be my true self, without judgement.

Once a dawg, always a dawg. Be boundless, and stay true to the purple and gold.