The year 2016 has been a wild ride. So many new experiences have been tossed my way. For example I got my driver's license, started my senior year of high school, applied to college, and met new people. At the beginning of this year, I wanted to be a lawyer.

Have Your Voice Heard: Become an Odyssey Creator

I wanted to live in an apartment with my best friend when we left for college. I wanted to win "Best Actress" in the UIL "One Act Play" competition. However, all of that has changed. I've decided to ditch law school and major in journalism to become an editor someday. I'm putting down a deposit for housing so I can live in a dorm at Texas A&M University next fall. I'm no longer a theatre student, as I have so many other things to do. Everything has changed this year. And guess what? That's okay. Change happens to all of us. As the years go by, we can't expect everything to stay the same. People change their minds, change their style and change their hearts. I've grown to be a different kind of person in one year, and that's okay. I'm still the same dedicated, driven girl that I've always been. The only difference is that I'm motivated in different areas of life than I used to be. And the changes don't stop; in the next year I will go through so many new experiences: graduation, moving out, college. I'm definitely nervous, but being scared isn't going to help at all. So, don't be afraid of change. It's coming whether we like it or not. The best thing to do is accept that and live on. So bring it on, 2017. We're ready for you.