I know that college is completely different than high school was and that it is a time to grow, change, and experience new things. In high school you were the “entire package” you were the athlete, the leader, the scholar, the go-to person by teacher, coaches, friends/teammates, and community members. You were the role model for many younger kids and the majority of the community knew you by name, number, and car. You were never given the opportunity to be out of the eye of the public and be a typical teenager. You were the responsible one that others were compared against. You handled it with such grace and dignity that you made it appear simple. After a while it became the normal for you, you thrived the busier you were and didn’t know what …show more content…
On one hand, it was a relief to no longer be required to always be the responsible one and a weight was lifted off your shoulder. However, on the other hand, you also lost part of your sense of identity. You were no longer Nicole the leader, Nicole the scholar, but you were still Nicole the athlete. But even that was a different level of responsibility and expectation. You were no longer the “star” of the team, the team leader; you were a team member. You also lost the label as Nicole the girlfriend/wife. Your sense of normal was suddenly no longer the same. Everything was different and your former support group had vanished. They were no longer just down the hall, around the corner, or across town; they were now a phone call or road trip away. Those that sill were behind you for support, you pushed away. Nothing anyone said prepared you for the changes that you were facing. For the first time in your life, you suddenly felt all alone. However, you were not going to let the changes win, you were going to battle back with the same attitude that you always had. You began searching for a “new” identity; you became Nicole the AT student, Nicole the sorority girl, Nicole the instructor. And since you were no longer in a committed relationship you also became Nicole the flirt and Nicole the