Being your own person is so difficult in today's society. You are controlled by so many aspects of your life. You want a tattoo on your arm? You probably won't get that job you wanted to go to college for. You don't want to go to college? You're told it's a bad choice. You want to major in psychology? You're told you won't have a job. You want to take a semester off? You're told you won't go back to school. So many things are influencing my generation it's ridiculous. Let us make our own choices. If we want to major in something you think is stupid, let us do that because it's not your life. You want to travel? Do it, because you're only young once.

I've been told I shouldn't be out late. I shouldn't be out with my friends at 3 a.m. just driving around. I shouldn't have a boyfriend my first year of college. I shouldn't be a psychology major (but I'm glad I'm OTA now). I shouldn't be who I am because society saysI can't. I can't have struggles because I'm supposed to be a strong independent woman. I shouldn't ask for help. I shouldn't show my downfalls. But how do other people know what I do and don't want, what I should and shouldn't do? I need to be me. I need to be my own person.

I grew up in Speedway, which is a small town inside of Indianapolis. I went to a small school with small class sizes and had a small group of friends. I decided to attend a small college two hours from home and played on a volleyball team with a small roster. I then made a small group of friends and made small talk. But as I went through my first year of college, I realize I've changed. I don't want to be the small town girl who did small things. I want to do better. I want to inspire. I want to teach people new things. I want to be that crazy girl who laughs at 3 a.m. with her friends in the car and tells them to pull over so you can lay down on that road and look at the stars. I want to make amazing friends who inspire me and whom I can inspire. I want to do what I feel is right. I want to dream big and travel often. I want to be a crazy teenager but I want to be responsible. I don't know who I am yet, but I do know where I want to go. I want to be free to make my own choices in my life without being ridiculed by society, friends, family, or anyone else because it's my life to live.

I need to be my own person. Not a year from now. Not tomorrow.

Today.