This week is a great week because I graduate on Saturday! This girl will receive a Bachelor’s of Science with emphasis in Nutrition and Dietetics. Four years of hard work. Four years of dealing with some almost impossible people. Four years learning how to deal with these people. Honestly, this could be the biggest thing that college has taught me. There will be people out there who are jealous of you, who try to bring you down and try to dim the sparkle of which you behold. There will be people you thought were your friends, only to turn on you once they experience better opportunities for themselves. I have seen people who expect to be given everything in life and those who expect to get what they want and when they want it. I have seen people break down in the face of possible rejection and break down with the realization they have to grow up. Throughout all of this, my self love has grown more than imaginable. I was raised that you have to work for what you want and you have to give your best, even if you don’t succeed. I was raised that you can’t always win and that life will throw you curve balls and you have to figure out how to react to them. I have a strong belief when negative things happen, positive things are going to come.

I’ve learned what situations to not get into and what situations are okay in the eyes of the world. Unfortunately, I don’t regret some of the situations I have got myself in, especially when they involve my true friends. I don’t regret the beliefs I have stood strong for, even if they resulted into things coming to an end, such as my collegiate running career. I will always fight for happiness and when I see people unhappy in a sport they once loved, I try to bring that love back to them. I will continue to stand strong against the people who use personal feelings and let them get in the way of professionalism. I lose respect for those who are older than you but still act as if they are in middle school or high school just waiting to tear someone down. I have found that line was crossed and professionalism was lost. And for those who think I’m okay with the loss of my collegiate running career, you would be wrong and It’s not okay to speak for me, because you don’t even know. It was an extremely unprofessional and immature situation of which I was never spoken to about and received the end via a voicemail. Professionalism at its classiest.

I have found myself and could not be happier with who I have become in my four years of college. I have found true friends and been able to witness kind souls in action. I have met some of the most incredible individuals and been incredibly inspired. I have found my life calling for my future career through the passion and love of nutrition and dietetics from Dr. Syler and the passion of sports nutrition through Diana Duncan. I have seen such strong women and how they succeed in the fields they are most passionate about. I want to hold that passion in my career and I hope it is as vibrant as the passion I can see in a few of my professors.

I want to take the passion, strength, knowledge and inspirations with me as I leave Southeast Missouri State University and continue my education at the University of Missouri. I am a true example of hard work and the position I received at Mizzou was because of hard work and not being afraid to put myself out there in the world and by going the extra mile. Success comes from hard work and I cannot wait to start the journey to continue my dreams.

So embrace this week with me as I reflect on the four years of college I have endured.