Call to Adventure

Hello everyone! For my final AP English IV project, I have to write about the stages of the Hero’s Journey. Some people in my class wrote children’s books, others wrote short stories. However, I chose to write a blog about the 11 stages of the Hero’s Journey based on a hero that I know best: myself.

I hope you are able to enjoy this journey along with me. It hasn’t and it won’t be easy, but it will definitely be worth it.

This year, I have had to make many tough decisions. I didn’t realize that, as a senior, so much stuff would be put on my plate. One decision that I thought was set in stone was the one I made to attend Campbell University in the fall. For the past two years, I had my sights set on Campbell. When I went for a tour there, I fell in love. I knew it was the school for me. It was my perfect fit.

When I applied in September, I felt very hopeful that I would get in and be offered some sort of financial assistance because it’s a private school. I got my acceptance letter in the mail in October, and everything I’d been hoping for had come true. Without hesitation, I sent in my enrollment deposit and signed up for housing, all before Christmas. I was so proud of myself for being accepted to the college of my dreams and having everything settled before Christmas break. 

I thought I was done (finally) stressing over college. I thought wrong.

After I filled out my FAFSA, Campbell sent me an original award letter of how much money I would get in loans and such. From the beginning I thought tuition at Campbell was only $28,000. That is the amount that is posted on their website, so when I received my acceptance letter I was very excited because they had given me more than half of that in scholarships. When I received my award letter, the amount they listed for tuition was $37,000. My heart sank. There was no way I would be able to pay that money. 

Luckily, before all the chaos ensued, I applied to ECU and UNCW and both accepted me. I never wanted to go to ECU; I just loved their journalism program. So really, my only option was UNCW. And the question presented itself: What was I going to do?

The only school I ever really wanted to go to was Campbell. I was already considering myself a camel. I couldn't even picture myself going anywhere else. Sadly, the day came where I had to start...