While being at home and spending time with family during Christmas break, my mind kept wandering to the final school year. I loved being home in California and spending time with family. Deep down, I know that I will spend the majority of my life back in the Bay Area, but I know that I have unfinished business.

Going back and forth from home to school has been overwhelming at times because being at home never really feels like a vacation, it feels as if I’m back to my youth and staying at home forever.

As I got older, I realized the goals I need to accomplish begin by finishing my education back in Pullman.

My main focus is getting my degree and graduating with honors. My mom put her thoughts of doing well in school into mine as a young child and with that, I was devoted to always passing with As or Bs.

Even when I accomplished that goal through middle and high school, I was disappointed in myself deep down because I know I could’ve done better. Heading off to college, I decided to change my mindset and start grasping the knowledge that my professors were teaching rather than focus on chasing a letter grade.

In life, I learned that there are people outside of my family who want to see you succeed and my track and field coach became one of those people.

Entering the year, I did not know what to expect out of my coach and it is only natural to have that thought. Seeing my old coach, Douglas Fraley, leaving with one more year until I graduate was a little painful to hear because of how much I improved over the year.

I was fearful entering my senior year of track because of the possibility of my new coach pushing the restart button with my mechanics over the bar. However, throughout the numerous workouts I got to know coach Derick Hinch as a person rather than just a coach. I must admit that it is quite exciting seeing how he plans to elevate my skills in high jump.

I learned that he is a coach who values patience and progression over anything. He always makes sure to stay on the same page with all of us jumpers, and, if anything goes wrong, he can be an outlet to reach out to. I also get excited to see how he plans to elevate the skill level of the new freshmen and the future of the track team.

Throughout my four years, I managed to mature in ways that are unprecedented in my life. Doing the small things in life, such as going to Insomnia Cookies after a hard day of school or going on a walk while watching the night sky, became memories that will last a lifetime.

As the days get shorter towards graduation where I will once again start a new chapter, I learned to appreciate the small moments while I’m a college student because opportunities like these will never come again. I’m always in such a rush to graduate because I’m ready to start the next chapter, but at the same time, I can’t let the year fly by without having an impact.