On Sunday, March 9 I celebrated my 25th birthday. At the end of this semester I will just be finished with the first half of the coursework for my Bachelor’s degree in Spanish.

When I first graduated high school, going straight to a four-year or even two-year program was the farthest option from my mind. I was bullied in school, I didn’t have friends, my family didn’t understand me and I was more or less forced to live my life in the closet. None of these things added up to happiness.

I decided when I graduated I was going to live life in the moment. Within the year, I moved to Memphis. The next year I moved back. The year after, I packed up everything in my vehicle and moved to North Dakota.

Yes  — North Dakota. I had a friend there and that was all I needed to pack up and move my life across the country to the frozen North.

That was the adventure I needed.

It wasn’t going to be found sitting in a classroom that was probably going to be full of the same people who bullied me in high school — the people who pushed me out because they didn’t understand me.

I had traveled enough at the moment and was living in my hometown for a while when I decided it was time for me to pursue a degree.

Because I waited and because I got the adventure out of my system, I was able to step onto UNA’s campus ready to learn. I was ready to be taught and I was ready to explore the world in a different way.

I love my classes, my teachers and my fellow students, and I am doing my best to dive into the college experience. That’s not to say I haven’t had to re-evaluate a few aspects of my life. Even over the past few weeks I’ve had several things happen in my life that seem like they’re there just to push me down. But when it comes to my life, all I want is to be happy. And I’m ready to let myself be happy.

So what I’m saying is this: If you’re not happy, do what you can to change it. A degree isn’t going to make you any happier if it’s forcing you to do something you don’t enjoy. If you don’t think you’re happy in college, if you can’t focus or are failing classes left and right, then take a break.

I encourage you to find what you enjoy and get out there and be happy. You have my support.