I personally was not looking forward to the end of senior year. I knew that it was going to be the end of a huge part of my life. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to my childhood and the town that I grew up in. However, because of the Corona virus I have developed a new appreciation for my new start. I now know that going off to college will be a good way for me to enter the world as an adult for the first time, refreshed after this global crisis is over.

The lasts that I was supposed to experience that I didn't get to are endless: the last day of school, the last basketball game, my last debate tournament, my last test. But I do know that even though I won't get to have these experiences, or I had them but didn't know they were my last at the time, life moves on and I should too. I have spent a lot of my time during quarantine planning my future and taking the time to sit down and really evaluate my goals. That opportunity alone is priceless. Not only do I have a better grasp of what I want my future to look like, I now know the importance and benefits that taking time to slow down can offer. I think that is a lesson that everyone has been able to learn over quarantine. As we are all forced to slow down and think, we need to take this time to really think about our lives and our future. Taking time out of or day every single day can make a huge difference in the way that we live and plan for what's ahead.

As I continue on my journey to college I am noting but thankful for this time of reflection. I can't wait for what the future holds and I know that Missouri State is a great place for that future to start.