Sophomore year of high school I had a dream to go to the University of Florida, I spent two weeks that summer at a journalism camp and fell even more in love with the possibility of one day being a Florida Gator. Junior year quickly approached and I was faced with the SAT, ACT, AP and Dual Enrollment. I piled it all on knowing that these exams and classes were vital in increasing my chance of being accepted. I dreamt of moving away, having fun and being able to say I was in fact a Florida Gator.
11th grade came to an end, and Senior year began. Application deadlines loomed and the reality of actually moving away from my family, friends and my dogs became very real.
Fast forward a few months, February 14th was the day I would know whether I was leaving Miami for the next four years or if I would end up staying home.
I logged on to my UF account and the words congratulations jumped out of the screen, Tears ran down my face as I immediately realized the message that came after the congratulations was not one that I expected. The words “PACE”, “online” and “two years” were on the screen as well.
Essentially, UF was asking me to spend my first two years of college behind a computer– and at the moment, I agreed and said this was my dream, until I realized UF had accepted me, but not in the way I wanted. I was not going to be fulfilling my dream to its full extent, I would be living a life in Gainesville– but not the one I longed for.
I decided to stay in Miami. That first year of college was one filled with all the what if’s you could imagine. What I learned though, was that not only does everything happen for a reason, but what we make of our experiences and how we decide to shape them– had nothing to do with our location. You are always exactly where you need to be.