I remember coming to Tech my freshman year, the only one from my small Southwest Georgia high school. Quite literally, a country girl transplanted to the big city — a Hannah Montana moment, if you will. However, the geographic move was the most minimal change. I craved connection with people who reminded me of home, and even though I did not share the same lived experiences as others here, I did my best to find people who shared the same values. My lovely friends I met along the way constructed my home away from home, all of whom I met by keeping my mind and eyes open to new possibilities and opportunities.
Nobody is replaceable, but you can find facets of the people you love within others.
My younger brother, Wade, is the type of person who pours his heart out into his people and his passions. He is a deep thinker, empathetic, and my best friend. I struggled to leave him back home, feeling like I was missing out on the important benchmarks in his life. He embodies all that is good and kind, and I wanted to surround myself with people like him in college. I found his gentle kindness in my friend Serena.
My mom is the epitome of strength, a true girlboss through and through. In high school, she learned how to do things outside the norm for women of her time: change a tire, drive a boat and water ski with one leg backward (way outside the norm). I admire her fearlessness and confidence. I found a wonderful reminder of her in my friend Shipley.
My grandmother is always there for me, whether near or far. She is not afraid to let me know when she is thinking of me, and she loves loudly. I always say she deserves a Servant’s Heart Award because she so selflessly finds ways to care for her people. I found her devotion to making people feel loved in my friend Sydney.
My hometown best friend, Anna, is a free spirit who is truly one-of-a-kind. I have never met someone so authentically herself and so uplifting to be around. I found her lust for life in my friend Sara, a person I can always count on to be there for me.
The true challenge is to grow new relationships while maintaining the old ones.
To anyone in a long-distance friendship, I highly recommend taking the time and effort to cultivate those friendships while physically apart. Going to Tech and being physically separated from the people I love has taught me to be intentional. Staying in contact and connecting from afar means much more to me than it used to, and jumping through the extra hurdles to speak to loved ones demonstrates how strong those connections are. Some of my best Tech memories have involved my family coming up for football games, my hometown friends surprising me for my 20th birthday, and all the weekend trips people were willing to make to see me.
The friends you make along the way are what make Tech a truly special place. But remember those who got you to Tech, too.