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Let me first say that听I am beyond thankful for my time here at UNH听and am grateful to have the opportunity to share my story.

My process for choosing UNH was a bit different than most incoming freshmen. I was recruited to play for the women鈥檚 soccer team听and committed to playing during my senior year of high school. I never dreamt of playing a Division I sport until it was my reality.听It really is as big of a commitment as it鈥檚 made out to be. We reported for preseason a month before classes started, and by听the time other students arrived on campus, I was drained to the core and couldn't fathom going to social events. From then on, my听life was听scheduled around practice and games. My听friends were听my听teammates who were also my听roommates.听

For the first couple years, I found absolute purpose in the sport and my team. I was working for something bigger than myself; that in itself is incredibly humbling. My sophomore year, the team won the America East Conference for the first time in UNH history!听However, by the end of my sophomore season, I knew something felt off. I longed to be doing things I didn鈥檛 have the time or energy for because of soccer, and it was no longer rewarding.

Junior year, I decided to step away from the team. It was one of the toughest transitions I鈥檝e ever faced. I didn鈥檛 know how to branch out of my friend group or even navigate the gym. However, with time comes gained knowledge and听confidence, and I found myself happier than ever with my new free time. I've been able to rekindle听my passions for yoga, hiking听and traveling.听

This past year, after deciding not to return to the team, I applied for and received an internship working as a writer for UNH鈥檚 online publication, UNH Today.听I am so thankful for the opportunities working with UNH Today has given me; it has shown me an entirely different side of UNH.听I鈥檝e attended countless events I wouldn鈥檛 have had access to without this experience; I obtained a press pass to hear then-President听Barack Obama speak at the Whit, and witnessed a student being told that her entire study abroad would be funded by Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Although I听clearly enjoy life without organized sports, I miss it terribly at times, too. It gave me an intangible sense of purpose, drive, humiltiy and work ethic.

My advice to underclassmen would be this: don鈥檛 be discouraged if something big doesn鈥檛 work out 鈥� your major, a relationship, being on an athletic team or part of an听organization for example.听I felt blindsided when stepping away from the team, however, I was able to pursue other passions听and learned a lot about myself in the process.

I could go on and on about how much I love UNH and how听heartbroken I am听about graduating, but I'll sum things up听with this last piece of advice:听We are fortunate to attend a university with so much to offer (and not to mention, an incredible location). Take advantage of it.

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