Meeting with the Mentor

I spent many grueling hours trying to figure out everything with Campbell. I didn't want to talk to anyone about it because I didn't think they would understand. One day, I was noticeably stressed out. My journalism teacher, Mrs. McKinley, has always been the first person to recognize if I'm not my usual happy-go-lucky self. This particular day, she seemed even more concerned than usual. We sat down and talked, and boy did that talk do some good!

I explained everything that was going on to Mrs. McKinley. I told her about the money situation with Campbell and how I had the opportunity to attend UNCW. Mrs. McKinley attended UNCW herself, so of course she had a lot of really wonderful things to say about it. I tried to explain how I felt in the best way possible. Mrs. McKinley was my teacher for three years, so she knew all about my dream of attending Campbell. I knew that she understood exactly where I was coming from. Little did I know that she had a similar story of her own to tell.

Mrs. McKinley explained to me that when she reached her senior year of high school, the only school she had ever dreamed about going to was UNC-Chapel Hill. She had been accepted, which is a huge feat for most people. She had her heart set on going there, but then she began thinking about the campus and how big it was. She explained to me that she wasn't much of a city girl, and she didn't know how well she would fit in at Chapel Hill. She luckily, like me, had applied to other schools, UNCW being one of them. When it came down to making her decision, she chose UNCW because she knew in the long run it would make her happy. All of that turned out to be true because UNCW is where she met her husband, and now they have a beautiful little girl. That would have never happened if she had chosen to become a Tar Heel. 

The point I know she was trying to get across to me was that it's okay if my dreams don't work out. It's okay to be disappointed about it. But the important thing to remember is that most of the time there is something better waiting out there for everyone, even if we aren't able to see it yet. The talk I had with her really motivated and encouraged me. I felt so much better knowing that someone completely understood where I was coming from.

Ultimately, I knew the decision was still up to me, and it was my time to decide.