To The People Who I Barely Know,

So I hear you have opinions about me. Opinions or maybe even questions that have to do with the amount of time I have taken to complete university. So, not that it is any of your business, but I have decided to tell you. You see at the age of eighteen I had a million different ideas of what I wanted to do with my life, as well as outside influences who had an idea of what I should be doing, and other issues that you need not concern yourself with (or maybe I will write about them, or have already done so). Who was I to waste money or time on something that I was not ready for? So two weeks into my first attempt, I dropped out. I decided to take a gap semester and tried to figure out what I wanted to do. Of course, I lied to you and a few other people to avoid the judgmental stares that I was inevitably bound to receive. You know, the ones you give me when asking about when I'll graduate, or what I want to do with my life. So, let's fast forward to summer, I got a job at a church daycare and stayed there for almost two years while going to school part-time. I loved it, and honestly, for a time, I thought about getting my associates and eventually my B.A. in early childhood education because of it. But in the back of my mind, I knew that wasn't right for me.

So in 2015, my grandma passed away and I decided to move back to Charlotte to be closer to my family and took a semester off to be around them and help where I could. Most judged me for that because I was already "behind" in school and not where you and society believed I should be. When asking me about what I wanted to do, you scoffed and said that I wouldn't go far with that. One person at the table took up for me. But you, and the others had already wormed your way into my head, and I instantly changed my mind. Just. Like. That.

So lets fast forward a year. I'm at UNC Charlotte, going into education because that was a smart major. One that was secure. But I wasn't happy in that program, and it didn't take long for me to realize it. So, I dropped out again...sort of. I decided to go back to community college and finish my associates and take a semester to start saving money. I nannied, and oh how wonderful it was! I adored those kids. They were wild and free (don't worry, they still are! My school schedule just didn't line up with their needs this semester) and they taught me so much. Imagine that right? I'm supposed to be the one teaching them, and they ended up teaching me. Anyways, for a year, I worked hard, saved money, and went to school just like so many others, and you discredit that because it doesn't align with the traditional four years that most college students don't follow. You also gave no credit to the fact that I got my A.A. Degree. You just asked, "Well, when are you going to get a real degree"? As if I didn't work hard to earn that degree. People, such as yourselves, who discredit degrees from community colleges are ignorant snobs.

But let's move on shall we? Let's move on to last semester (Fall 2017) I figured it out. So, for my haters (most of whom I maybe see once a year), here it is. I am an English Major with a double minor in Linguistics and History. My ideal job would be to continue to write in some capacity, work for a publishing house, or continue to write or edit for a website or newspaper. While none of those options are glamorous or perfect, it is what I want to do. Oh! And I graduate next May with my B.A.

Moral of the story, don't judge people because they don't fit into your perfect mold.