As I began to pack my bags and say my final good bye’s, feelings began overwhelming me that I had never experienced before, alone, empty, and lost. Not only did I just graduate High School and was moving on to College, but I was leaving my parents and hometown of Orlando, Florida to start a new life in Suwanee, Georgia. My parents had always taught me to stay strong and to overcome any obstacle coming my way with courage and dignity, but this was a bump in the road like no other.

As I grew up, the University of Florida seemed like an ideal school to attend to pursue my academic career of being a Pharmacist. As time got closer to graduating high school I realized I couldn’t see myself spending the next six years of my there, but that the University of Georgia was the right fit for me. Not only did I fall in love with the UGA campus, but I was excited to move out from Florida since I’ve been living there my whole life. I finally decided to attend Georgia Gwinnett College for the first three semesters of college and to transfer to UGA as soon as I could in hopes of being accepted into their College of Pharmacy.

And now, here I am. Gaining and losing important elements in my life were just a few struggles that came with moving away from home. Figure Skating was a huge part of my life all through out high school, which set me apart from others. Whether it was competing or featuring in shows, it was my chance to escape and be happy no matter what the circumstances were. However, my blades haven’t hit the ice in almost two years due to my recent move to Georgia. Having finally found a job that I loved in Orlando (Hollister Co) seemed ideal to me and affected me greatly when I had to give it up to move to Georgia. The people I worked with were more like a second family rather than bosses and co –workers, which came in great handy for being an only child. Even though I gave up two of the most important aspects of my life at the time, the University of Georgia has it made it worth everything and more.

The individual I am today has been the result of different aspects of my life such as my Lebanese heritage, Catholic religion, family, friends, tragic moments, amazing experiences, and dreams. As I continue my future I hope to take in all the lessons I’ve learned and apply it to my daily life whether it’s the good or the bad, for this is only the beginning of my life.