This first picture represents how I felt the days leading up to transitioning into college. I was all packed and ready to go, but internally I was freaking out. My mom took this picture of me silently panicking in our car and although I initially used the image as comedic relief, I can now look at it with pride. This picture depicts where I started from. It shows the pure fear behind my eyes and the anxiety bubbling in my head. Looking back at it now, I can feel accomplished at how far I have come. I can also use it to remind myself that no matter what I am going through in the moment, I will reach a time where I can look back at it and laugh. This illustration of my progress holds more value than I ever could have imagined.
The second picture was taken a few weeks into my first semester of college. After stressing about classes, a few of my high school friends and I decided to take a break and explore the city. It was through the adventures we went on that day that I realized that there was so much more to life than just the classes we were taking. Although they are extremely relevant, my friends were able to remind me that spontaneous adventures did not need to expire at the end of high school. In fact, as the day went on, the memories we made just got better. Realizing that I had to choose activities that kept me fulfilled was truly life-changing.
The third picture was taken sometime around Halloween. The girl pictured next to me is one of my best friends, Emma. Earlier that week during our weekly facetime calls, I told her about the rough time I was in due to some family issues. This girl did everything she could to come over to OSU from UK that weekend just so that I wouldn’t be alone. This picture is worth so much to me because it is a constant reminder that no matter how far we end up from eachother, our friendship is so strong that we will always have eachother’s backs. Having a community is so important, especially at a school as big as OSU. Having Emma come hang with me that weekend helped me see that no matter what, I would never be alone.
This fourth picture is a screenshot of a snapchat that my roommate took after Halloween. We had found someone’s shark costume in our room and so we all tried it on. As silly as it sounds, seeing this on snapchat made me feel proud. Although the picture was intended for humor, the fact that my roommate, someone I did not think I would get super close to, remembered my dream goal of becoming a Marine Biologist was something that seemed really cool to me. That night, we had a really deep talk about life and our dreams and now this girl is one of my best friends. This picture embodies not only the vibes of that night, but also the beginning of my new friendship. The value of this to me is truly indescribable.
This fifth picture was taken on probably my favorite day of all of first semester. At this moment of the ENR camping trip, I felt so connected to the universe and I felt like my existence had a purpose. Staring into the sky at night in the same spot also provided me with a (completely different) experience. At night, when we went star gazing, I actually teared up because of how beautiful the world was. I had never seen the stars like that and thankfully, Ris was able to capture a picture of it. This location is probably one of my most favorite places ever and being able to feel that connected with nature was the greatest gift that scholars could have given me.
This sixth picture is of my wonderful roommates and I. We had just concluded an adventure and were riding the bus back. In this moment, the amount of joy we all felt was immense. I never thought I would get this close to my roommates, but I am so glad I was proven wrong. These girls are two of my best friends and my first year would have been so completely different without them.
The seventh picture is of me and my best friend, Morgan. This girl has been my best friend for years now and it describes our friendship perfectly. It is very rare to see us together when we are not dying of laughter about something that only we would find funny. This picture reminds me of how fortunate I am to be able to go to through the journey of college with my best friend. She is the Spongebob to my Patrick and going to OSU together is only strengthening that bond.
This final picture includes me and three of my new friends: Olivia, Riley, and Brisa. This was during finals week under the statue of Thompson. Although we have only known each other for this one year, the picture is a clear representation of how quickly we have gotten close. Without ENR scholars, I would have never met them and I cannot begin to imagine my college experience without them.