Approaching the end of high school I had made a point of talking to adults about their experiences in college. I noticed that nearly all of them pointed to their college years as when they began to figure out who they were and where they wanted to go. It was clear to me that this was not the phase for focusing my energies along a single path — it was a time to widen my vision and explore the realm of possibility.

During that last childhood Summer in Haddonfield before leaving for New Hampshire I thought a lot about what I wanted to gain. While I didn't have a clear picture of what I wanted to move towards, I was clear on what I wanted to move away from, and that was from trying to live up to an externally imposed notion of who or what I was supposed to be. Instead, I wanted to throw out what I had and start over. I didn't know what the future looked like, but I knew for certain that I wanted it to be larger and more diverse.

I was ready for more.