Crossing the First Threshold

After fretting (to death) about my college decision internally for a few weeks, I finally decided to sit down and talk to my parents about money. I had this grand speech planned out, and I just knew I was going to walk away becoming a camel in the fall. 

Well, needless to say, that all crashed and burned. 

As soon as I started to talk about money and loans, my parents simply stated that they couldn't sign a loan for me because they didn't sign them for my sisters. It really was as simple as that. Loans were the only way I was ever going to be able to afford Campbell, so when they told me that I knew the decision was made...

In August of 2013, I would become a UNCW Seahawk. 

I sent in my enrollment deposit the next day, and slowly tried to let go of one of my dreams.

Hello Wilmington, NC

Goodbye, Buies Creek.

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.

Refusal of the Call

I thought about my college decision a lot constantly, and I came to a conclusion:

I absolutely did not want to go to UNCW. I didn't have the same feeling about it that I had about Campbell. I wasn't ready to start a life there. I hadn't ever planned on going there. I knew I wouldn't fit in at UNCW. I refused to call Wilmington home. I wasn't ready to give up my dream yet. I was determined to make Campbell work. Buies Creek would be my home in the fall. 

UNCW was not an option. 

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...