The Word, The Dream, and The Becoming

Two of the most amazing girls I've ever met

My parents; without them, I'd be nothing.

     So, as the first semester of my college experience comes quickly to a close, I've realized that I indeed have changed since I first came to Converse. My hometown is a very small one that hardly has anything. I mean, we have things, like buildings and such, but there's really nothing to do...well, unless you enjoy eating a lot. Nobody knows where the town of Loris is and the most exciting thing to ever happen was about five or six years ago when McDonald's was built. Yes, it's that sad. My hometown had one thing that I wouldn't trade for the world, though, and that one thing was Southside Dance Center. It was at Southside that I was first introduced to the stage and the world of performing. I've been dancing for fourteen years now, and it's really something I love. I think this is where my love of being on stage first began. After I realized that the stage is one of the places in which I feel most comfortable, I also realized that I want to spend the rest of my life performing. Everything about the stage was spellbinding to me-the music, the dancing, the costumes, the sets-absolutely everything. Although I was completely comfortable performing on stage in front of people, my confidence didn't usually show up in person. Throughout high school all I wanted was to fit in so I could make friends. Since I attended a private school, you might think that not almost everybody would drive trucks and wear camouflage. Well, you'd be wrong. Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with that, however, it's really not my style. At all. Anyway, try as I might, I was always a little different than most students. I wasn't up to date on the Top 40 Hits of the week and was usually the last to hear anything. I listened to music most other students didn't care for and knew about dance and theatre. I had dreams to move to New York and become a star, not just take over the family business. Thankfully, I met a couple of friends who didn't have the whole "country" state of mind, either. One has been an amazing friend of mine since first grade and the other has been with me since about freshman year. These two girls, my family, and my church family were the ones who encouraged me and really pushed me to go for my dreams.

A bit of the wonderful insanity that occurs at college.

I'm no longer afraid to act completely insane!

     Even though I have this amazing support system, I still doubt myself sometimes. There was a time in the recent past where I didn't believe in myself. I know that confidence in yourself is the biggest key to success, but sometimes it's a really difficult situation. I felt like New York was just a dream that couldn't be reached. It seemed like such a long shot for a small-town girl to make it in such a big city. I felt like I was almost alone in my dreaming. It wasn't that I felt no one believed in me, it was just that I had almost no faith in myself. However, I soon realized that there was a place where I could be myself and could become successful. What is this place, you may ask? Converse, of course! When I first came to Converse, I wasn't really sure of what to expect. I'd heard great things about college, but still wasn't sure how to make a smooth transition from living a life in a place where I was so different than everyone else to a place where I belonged and there were people who had interests similar to mine. I realized that I didn't have to hide who I am from the people here. They are all completely accepting of other people as individuals! With this in mind, I re-gained my self-confidence and realized that Converse really is a place that will help you follow your dreams, no matter how big. With my confidence restored, I plan on continuing my intended plan of moving to New York and performing on Broadway, and nothing is going to stand in my way.