The path to college

I have been thinking a lot about how I ended up in college. While I am not going to talk about the whole experience here, I will like to bring up a few things that happened through that journey, which was really a journey.

Last night I was talking to a friend who is in the same situation as me and we are both in college as well. She was telling me how her school "lost" me to where I go now. I remembered I had this weird experience at the college she now attends when I was deciding where I would go. I remember that I was trying to decide between her school and where I go now.

Obviously I made a choice and it was not her school, but the person I sort of worked with while checking out the school was pretty bumped up I did not go there. Now every time I see this person we both talk about it, which always brings me smiles. "We lost you to" your school she would say. I would close my eyes and put my head down and then laugh. Not to be cocky or anything here, but I was "wanted." I mean, two schools trying to get me, even in my situation, is pretty remarkable I have to say (and you have to agree).

My friend and I also talked about applying to college. We both shared a bit of similar experiences. We applied to schools we were interested in for many reasons and for the most part we got in most school, at least in MN. And even though we had more positive responses, the few negative ones really brought us down. Some times they were based on our status, other on financial aid, and other times because of ignorance.

Hearing good news from school was awesome, but there was just something about being rejected based on one little thing. Now that I think about it, it was like being Sonia Sotomayor in hearings and having the senators questions one thing that we are sure we would have changed if we had the chance. We were not being judged based on our credentials.

This really brought us down many times. I remember really doubting myself many times whenever that rejection knocked on my door. I remember writing how much work I had been putting in school and at the end it would be all worthless. I remember getting angry, upset to those around me when they really could not do anything. Why couldn't they do anything?! It was all so unfair! The last year of high school was very emotional, draining me of much of my enthusiasm.

But you know what, I made it, as my friend did, and as many have done it as well. No matter how many times we encountered drawbacks, we kept on. We might have doubted ourselves at some point, but our courage and willingness to make it to college did not waver. We are in college, and that is a fact. No one will take that away from us.

The Honorable P