“I am here for Christmas break. I am a junior in college. College is 100 percent better than high school. I am majoring in secondary education and want to teach at a school that needs me. My high school years were so rough that I want to be someone kids can rely on. I want to help kids thrive, even if their strong point wasn’t school. Mine wasn’t. You can still succeed without being book smart. I hit rock bottom my senior year and didn’t care, but my track coach didn’t give up on me. I was a complete brat and didn’t want to do the workouts, but he told me, ‘You be you, and I will be here.’ For some reason, that was what I needed to hear. I finished my workout and that turned me around. I emailed him and apologized for acting the way I do. There are people who will support you even if you don’t make the best grades. In high school, I turned to alcohol and bad decisions because I didn’t have a purpose. I had to be knocked down and showed that I was not in control. I was rejected and turned to my solutions and that didn’t help. I finally learned God is in control. Everyone struggles with their own things. Social media is is so rejecting and negative and I am getting rid of that and filling it with reading. I am proud of changing and opening to another view.”