How I've Grown

        These last couple of months have been somewhat of a blur. I feel like time has just flown by. It seems like only a couple days ago I arrived at Iowa State and the first semester is almost over. Throughout my first semester at college, I have learned a lot. I have learned a lot academically and about myself personally.
        Academically I have been challenged. High school came very easily to me, so I was not very good at studying. After one semester I think I have already studied more than all of high school combined. I am very proud of myself for how quickly I adjusted. It helped that I had a  GPA goal set for myself; it made me strive that much harder. I now know how hard I have to work if I expect to do as well as I did in high school.
       As much as I have learned scholastically, I have learned so much more about myself. I learned that I count on my family being there more than I thought. I also learned that I am much closer to my family than most people. An important thing I learned is that I can be independent and handle situations on my own. This was one of my biggest struggles. I have always been able to handle things on my own, but before my parents were always there to assist me just in case. Now everything I do is based off of my judgement and morals. I feel as if coming to college has helped me grow as a person.
       Now, that I am at college I appreciate little things so much more. I took for granted the fact that I had my own room at home. Having to share my space with someone else was a little weird at first. I took for granted the fact that my mom made supper every night. This is not as big of a change because  people are still cooking fro me every day, but it is still something that I had to adjust to. I also took for granted that all my friends were around whenever I needed them. Now most of them are hours away and I barely  get to see them. I also took for granted my siblings. My siblings are the ones who could always keep me smiling. They were a big part of my motivation to succeed. I have always treasured the fact that I get to be a role model for them. I am just as much as a role model now as I was then, the difference is now I only get to talk to them on the phone.
       All in all I like college. It gets better every day. I know that I will keep learning and developing as a person. I can't wait to see what the future holds.

What does the Hixson award mean to me?

             It is hard to describe what the Hixson award means to me. It is an award that has broadened my horizons. It has allowed me to study at the university I have wanted to study at my whole life. It has given me opportunities to meet new people and to make new friends. It is crazy to think of how many people I never would have known if I had not been part of this program.

            It has also helped me adjust to college life. When I first came to Iowa State I did not know many people, nor did I know the school that well. The people in the Hixson program assisted me by answering all of my questions, no matter how silly. They were very welcoming and helped me to make Iowa State more like home.

            The most important thing that the Hixson award has done is helped me to grow as a person. It has challenged me to make goals for myself and to achieve them. It has shown me how to organize my life better and how to handle everything. It has opened my eyes to new experiences offered to me, such as student exchange and traveling abroad. It has also shown me how important it is to give to others. If the Hixson award had not been given to me, I’m not sure what my college experience would have been like. I feel like the whole Hixson Program has been very prevalent in my first semester of college.  It has helped me along so much. I now understand why there are so many people who are so devoted and passionate about this program.