I’ve always found my worth in who I surround myself with, and the lessons learned from them.
In high school, I used to pray to God that college would bring me genuine friendships.
It’s not that I didn’t have friends in high school, but I never felt I belonged in my friend group. I was insecure, and other girls could be flippant with my feelings.
The photo to the left is from New Years Eve in 2021. I got ready to hang out with friends only to be told there was no room in the car for me, and ended up staying at home.
There were plenty of nights where I would go to sleep with hurt in my heart after seeing parties I wasn’t invited to, simply begging any higher power that I could find a place I felt wanted. In my mind, college would be the place I fostered real friendships, ones where I was valued just as much as I valued others.
I am so blessed to look back at my four years in Athens and say that my expectations were exceeded.
I made friends that I now truly consider my family, as cliche as that is.
I have lived with Anna Grace, Cat, and Sarah for three years. They have seen me in my endless ridiculous pajama sets. They have put up with my loud and random bouts of singing. They have allowed me to sob to them about little inconveniences and larger life altering events. They have seen me at my very worst, met me in dark places, accepted me as I am and loved me unconditionally.
I would not be who I am today with my friends. They have inspired me endlessly over the years. I think back to who they were freshman year compared to who they are now, and I am so beyond proud of how they have grown.
Seeing how confident and sure of themselves my friends have gotten these past few years inspired me to put my journalism skills to use and interview them about how they got here. Through these interviews, I learned even more about my friends and the struggles they wrestled with in college.
After these interviews, I wrote stories about my friends experiences, and have collected them here for you to enjoy and learn from as well.