Well, one, I’m excited to graduate.
Two, I’ve never written for this paper, ever. The closest I’ve ever gotten to writing in the Crite, was designing a few ads or headlines.
Through numerous friends, I was convinced that I should apply to be a Resident Assistant my junior year. They said I’d be good at it. I also became a cheerleader that same year. On top of both of those time-consuming efforts, I was taking 18 credits to reach my goal of graduating in four years. It was very hard. There were a lot of late nights, traveling with the team, doing homework, and dealing with idiot college students.
Being an RA taught me a lot of leadership skills. It showed me how much people actually look up to me. I’ll miss the responsibility but not the late nights.
The next year I was had late nights for a different reason.
The summer before my senior year, I received a text from my girlfriend, Logan. She said that she needed to talk to me. I sat in a parking lot by myself waiting for text messages. The minutes dragged like hours. I lied to my parents and told them I was going to my buddy Dennis’s house. After a few hours my girlfriend called.
She had gone to the doctor for a checkup. The doctor told her the surprise news that she was 18 weeks pregnant.
My world turned upside down. I didn’t know what I was going to do. Or what I was going to tell my parents. How had this happened?
I had already accepted the job as Design Editor for this paper. My editor was counting on me. We were a new staff, and she didn’t have anyone to take my place. I didn’t know if I was even going to be able to come back to Mesa.
My girlfriend and I were both really emotional, and worried about finishing school. We had already come so far and we agreed that we both needed to finish, our education was the most important thing.
I told my parents, and then tears started flowing.
The next thing I had to do was call my coach and told her that my girlfriend and I wanted to talk to her in person. It was hard to look someone in the eye, someone I respected, and tell her I couldn’t be part of the team anymore.
Our lives were turned completely around. At first we thought it was for the worst. We moved in together. That was the start of our financial difficulties. We prepared for what was to come accordingly.
We both stayed in school, even though she was taking online classes and I was going to classes. I also knew that coming back I would need to support myself and two other people. I kept the Design Editor position with the Crite. And I picked up a 15 -20 hour a week job working for a local restaurant. She picked up a second job. We didn’t know how we were going to make it.
Then it was a waiting game.
Mason was born December 20, 2010. I’m graduating in 12 days, and the last four years have been a roller coaster of events. Some have been great. Some have been very unexpected, especially this last one.  It’s always scary when you’re at the top of the ride. Looking down, you never know what’s going to happen. But college was a ride of a lifetime.
I now know with everything that has happened, that I can succeed. And I’m going to keep pushing forward, for myself, and my family.
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nbrunett@mesastate.edu