My journey at Loyola University began in August 2009. I had never been more excited for anything in my life; I was going to fulfill my dream. No, not going to college, I’m talking about living in Chicago! Ever since I first visited this wonderful city, I knew I had to find a way to live there. I wanted my college experience to be so much more than the normal, and I knew Loyola and Chicago could offer me that. Chicago is a wonderful place with energy, diversity, history, and so much more. And now, as I am starring down the finish line, I know I couldn’t have made a better choice.

Looking back, I realize how far I have come and how much of a journey this really has been. Chicago is a whole other world compared to Munster, Indiana. I had big plans for myself at Loyola. I wanted to get involved in everything I could and most of all I wanted to do well with my classes and set myself up for life after college. Before college, I was used to things coming easily to me. I graduated High School with high honors, I was very involved in my community and I was an all-state athlete. But like a story so often told, my journey was not as easy as I had planned it would be.

The first bump in the road happened when had my third knee surgery making it impossible to fulfill my dream of playing college soccer. I had to turn down scholarships and leave that dream behind; I was no longer going to a college athlete. Growing up, my whole identity was tied to being the soccer girl. It’s all I did and it was all I knew, and that is what I had planned to know in college. But coming to Loyola, I had to start over and I had to reinvent myself. Looking back now I realize this wasn’t the end of the world for me, even though it felt that way at the time. Realistically, I was not going to be a professional soccer player and this day would have had come eventually. That experience really made me look harder at myself to figure out who I was outside of soccer.

My journey went over another bump in the road when in the in my third month of college my dad unexpectedly passed away. This was the last thing I would have ever expected to happen, and it is the one thing that has changed me the most. After returning home for two weeks, I made the decision to go back to campus so I could take my final exams and finish the semester. This was probably the biggest mistake I have ever made. If I could go back in time I would tell myself that one bad class is very small compared to rushing yourself back. I thought I was ready to move on, but I didn't realize how wrong I was. For a long time, I was just in this stalled state. I stopped being involved in organizations on campus and I lost my energy to do anything other than school. Learning how to come out of this and move forward has been the biggest growing experience in my life. I had to learn how to really appreciate what is in my life and focus myself on what is really important. And I have finally begun doing the things that make me happy again.

Many other bumps and turns happened in my journey but these two were the most influential. I would not be who I am today if I didn’t have to go through these experiences. I got knocked down, but I have realized that it is how you pick yourself back up is what matters. I now have an invaluable perspective on life and a drive to move forward. I no longer have an unenthusiastic view when I look to my future, and I can’t wait to get out there and get my hands dirty. It is my excitement and drive that lets me know that I will be able to achieve what I want. I am no longer afraid of falling off the path I have laid out infront of me, and I know in the end no matter how I get there, I will make it to where I am supposed to be.