Last Friday the summer academy ended, and yeah I needed a few days before I could write this because I was too emotional! As I reflect on what happened in those short 6 weeks I can only feel great about what the future holds. In high school I always knew who I was but I struggled to express that when I was surrounded by people who knew me since pre school. Moving to a completely unfamiliar area with all new people finally allowed me to be completely me and I loved every minute of it! 

I also feel super qualified to give advice about high school now (even though no one asked for it!), I think every high school student should go to therapy at least once, or just visit with a counselor before college. I was lucky enough to attend therapy for two years before coming to college and the coping mechanisms I learned in those sessions helped me become self aware, those skills were especially useful when I was living in such a new environment.

 It was obvious that a lot my peers in the program were caught off guard by the high school to college transition, maybe because their previous classes did not do enough to prepare them for the rigor of college courses or maybe because they realized they were not as comfortable with themselves when they weren't surrounded by their high school clique. Whatever it was, I felt that I had a great advantage. My teachers from high school really invested in preparing me for a higher education, the internship program taught me everything I know about professionalism, and the things I worked on in therapy prepared me for the emotional rollercoaster I would ride when I moved out. 

While I still have a lot to learn and a lot more self discovery when I return in the fall, I know that the taste of college I got this summer is a good indicator of how I will do when I start the real thing. I am optimistic about my college career and I know I am going to thrive! Being an Adidas Leadership Scholar is going to open so many doors for me and I can already tell that the people I have met so far are going to play an important role in this next chapter!