The college years have seemed to go by very fast. I find myself stressing about my school work getting harder and harder while also worrying about what the future holds for me. At the same time though, it is an extremely exciting time. Looking back, my journey to the University of Oklahoma was a difficult one full of tough decisions and doubts. It is almost funny to think about the issues I used to stress about while back in high school.

In high school, tennis was my life. I started playing at the age of eight. I grew up playing multiple sports, but tennis was always my favorite. Once I reached high school, I was sure that tennis was going to be in my future for a very long time. My goal was to play D1 college tennis. I would leave high school early every day around 1:00 to drive to Dallas and train from about 2:00-7:00 p.m. On most weekends, I was traveling all around Texas for tournaments. Once every month, there was a tournament in some other state across the nation. My social life was my tennis life. I was dedicated to the sport because I knew in the end it would be worth it to reach my goal and get my college paid for. I got as high as number 4 in the state of Texas.

At the beginning of my senior year, I experienced what I now call an eye opening experience. Back then though, I thought my life was over. Just as I was about to pick the college I wanted to play for, I hurt my back very badly. I herniated the lowest disk in the right side of my back. With this injury, I was never going to be able to play college tennis without being in pain every single day. I realized my goal was never going to be reached and I found myself feeling lost.

Luckily, my brothers girlfriend at the time (now his fiancé) introduced me to the University of Oklahoma. I had never even considered OU because I knew nothing about it. She took me on a tour halfway through my senior year and I fell in love. It was so much prettier than the schools I had seen previously. I never considered myself to be a sorority girl, but she convinced me to go through rush anyways. I ended up pledging Gamma Phi Beta which was the sorority she was in. I also discovered the club tennis team that I am now President of. It allows me to play tennis for fun without injuring my back any worse.

Now, here I am, almost 4 years later trying to reach goals and stressing about the future again. What I must remember though, is my past, and all of the obstacles I had to take to get here. I must remember that life will create a path for me. This path may not be what I thought it would be, but I know that in the end everything will work out. This is something I will always remember when I am going through stressful times such as finals or internship interviews.

Originally posted at Taylor Jurica- Gaylord Journalism Student