Woah, trust me, I know that probably sounds terrifying.

Three years ago, I was right there with you. Everything was changing so quickly and before I knew it, I was on my front porch steps with four pieces of luggage and three big bins by my side, (yeah, I may have been an over-packer), saying goodbye to the summer that I thought would never end.

I’m sure you feel a lot of different feelings right now, not knowing if it’s fear, excitement, anxiety, or all the above, but I’m here to tell you that it's all pretty exciting in the end.

You are facilitating change — a new you. You have earned a blank canvas in life, use that to your advantage.

I am definitely not the same person I was my first year; I had a lot of growing to do, parts of me I wanted to work on, experiences I wanted to have. Although, at first, I had so much anxiety about how I was going to begin that journey of growth and renewal, I knew deep down that it was a gift. I got to create who I was and who I wanted to be from scratch, taking pieces of me I wanted to keep while leaving small bits behind, never losing my authenticity.

I didn’t realize the true beauty of this cycle until I was able to look back on it, especially while writing this letter to you.

With that said, honor yourself by making this a journey of YOU, no one else.

There is no better time to do the things that make your heart sink, the things that make you break a sweat due to fear or anxiety, to throw yourself into the deep end.

Now, and throughout the next four years, are the time of you, of discovery, of really connecting with your passions and figuring out how to carry those with you through a future career.

That is not to say this will be easy, there will be hills and valleys as there are with everything, but at the end of the day, remind yourself why you are here. Who do you want to be? Will you get there by never wandering outside of the den? Use these questions as fuel.

If you have ever held yourself back, doubted yourself or been too scared to jump, now is the time to unleash all that pent up ambition.

I can’t wait to see all that you can and will do, and if you ever feel alone, just roar, you will always find support here.