Why do you think she is here?

Imagine a seventeen year old girl, excited about moving away from home, but afraid for what that meant for her future. This was me during the spring of 2013. I was ridiculously excited for my highly anticipated high school graduation, but I had no idea where I wanted to attend college. College had always been in the cards for me so no one really talked openly about different universities. It was just expected for me to go. So I set out on a journey to find a place I could call home for the next four years, and that place was called Baylor University. My mother, aunt, and I traveled the ten hours from Memphis, TN to Waco, TX where I fell in love, not with a person but with a campus and the idea of the future. During my visit all I could think about is how in the world am I going to make friends. I had grown up with the same friends since fifth grade and we were thick as thieves, but I was certain that they would not be making the move with me to Waco. Then all of a sudden something happened, and I learned I would not be making the move to Waco either. Instead I would be moving to Knoxville, TN. The only thing I knew about the city is my cousin died while giving birth in one of the hospitals, not too far from here. What a great introduction to the city. I was extremely nervous about attending The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. My concerns were ranging from how was I going to fall in love with this university, all the way back to my hesitation about making friends. But, I knew God was calling me here for a purpose, and to this day, I am not exactly sure what that purpose is. Along the way, I have done some pretty amazing things at this university that I am extremely proud of. So you may be asking yourself, “Well why is she here?” Ultimately, this university has propelled me into my future, taught me some extremely valuable lessons that I am positive I would not have learned anywhere else, all while realizing that continuous learning and growth coupled with helping others and compassion are things I am extremely passionate about.