I began college with high hopes and big dreams of a successful future. Husband, kids, money, everything. Ambitious and money-starved, I started taking Accounting classes with the visualization of business suits hustling their way down Wall Street. Over time, this image became distorted. I found out a lot of things about myself. I began a journey of self-realization that led to endless possibilities.

I was flooded with nervousness when I first moved to Tallahassee from my small town of Inverness, Florida. It's true when they say that college changes you. Meeting new people and trying new things shaped the person that I am today. My friends became my family, responsibilities became my own. No more parents, no more rules. Different people handle this life-altering transition in various ways. What doesn't kill you can only make you stronger. That's how I learned the lessons of life. And these experiences are what strengthened my character and ultimately shaped my future.

As I previously mentioned, I started school majoring in Accounting. This was mainly because I really didn't know what I wanted from life. I was always good at math in high school and it just seemed like the key to the secure and financial future I had always thirsted for. I was afraid to change because I had built my life around this image. But as my classes seemed to grow longer, so did the feeling that this was not the path I was destined to travel. This is when I began investigating further possibilities. I decided to dip into my creative juices and see what I could find. Having no previous music education beyond elementary school, I elected to take up a classical guitar class. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Although I am no Jimmy Hendrix, my friends will vouch for my unique rendition of "American Pie." I have never played the guitar beyond the comfort of my circle of friends, but it makes me feel like I have added something a little extra to my small but significant list of talents.

My next creative feat was an art class. I managed to find something that I really thought fit my personality. Mosaic Tile Art. It doesn't get much easier than breaking tile and putting it back together to create a masterpiece of a Picasso imitation. My ambition preceded me when I decided that my first project would be a kitchen table. You can imagine how proud I am of it when I point it out to everyone that comes into my apartment. I even took a picture of it and e-mailed it to friends and family members that didn't have the privilege of seeing my artwork in person. My roommates are overwhelmed with my new idea to mosaic all of our living room furniture. I am intoxicated by this new fascination.

Beyond extracurricular classes, I suddenly changed my major one semester to English Education. It is amazing how my attitude towards school changed as well. Hemingway, Chopin, Morrison. I crawl into bed every night, eager to read my next book for class, licking my fingers with hunger at the turn of every page. It was just another creative juice just waiting to burst. All these new ventures that I experimented with sparked something within me. I found it exciting and refreshing to share the things that had I learned with other people. My education classes evoked an interest that in the past I would never had believed was there. I found deep within me the thirst for knowledge, and more importantly the passion I felt when I got the opportunity to share this knowledge. Some would say that it is in my blood, and maybe it is. I could not have learned more about being an educator than from living with two of them all of my life. Personal experiences are priceless. What more significant way to spend your life than to share what you have with others?

Through it all, I have learned that college is exactly what you make of it. By following my inner-ambitions and doing things that ignited my creative side, I learned a lot about life's lessons. I might not be the next Ally McBeal, but I now know more about what makes me happy. I could have easily graduated in three years and never looked back. Instead, I will constantly look back, envisioning the memories of the past, and channeling the knowledge into the future. I chose to make the most of my self-evolving college experiences, and I still have a lifetime ahead of me for many more.

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