I was a senior in high school and I had not committed to Rider University yet. I was considering it for a lot of reasons but I was hesitant, only because making a commitment to a school was scary.

I joined the Rider University Class of 2022, hoping that I could meet people and truly see if Rider was for me. I wanted to find reasons why Rider was different than any other college.

I can't say I remember when but there was a post made by someone who was a part of the Odyssey team. They were looking for people to be a part of a writing club. I was instantly intrigued because I had been writing for a long time. Granted, it was a lot different than what I was used to writing. I was afraid because I'm a very shy person. I didn't think that they would want me to be in their club for some reason.

After some encouragement, I decided to message them. They asked me questions and soon enough, I was writing for them. It was great and it was something that automatically connected me to Rider. It wasn't long before I committed.

I enjoyed writing for them, it seemed like I had plenty of ideas in the beginning. As time went on, I found that I had less and less motivation to write. I loved writing but I never knew what to write. Then, I started college.

College is insanely hectic. I began to become a part of clubs, I was trying to do well in classes as well as do my full-time job. I was able to do it for the first semester but I found that every week, it was just a chore.

I wanted to continue writing but I didn't want to produce things that didn't matter and people wouldn't enjoy. I love Odyssey and I love the platform I was given. They don't try to stifle your thoughts, ideas and opinions. You're free to express yourself. You meet great people and make lots of friends.

It's a bittersweet thing. I want to stay but I know that my schedule doesn't support it. I am grateful for all the people I've met and the articles I've written.

This will be one part of college that I will never forget.