As a child, and even into my junior year, I struggled with feeling inept as a human being, as well as fearful of being rejected by others. This was not due to any self-manifested idea of what someone should be, but rather one created by my parents; my mother specifically. Throughout my childhood, my mother had numerous operations performed on her back, and she was prescribed medication in order to function somewhat normally. In time, she became addicted; she yearned...

I have been telling myself I would attend whichever institution felt like home. My family agreed with me; to a certain extent, that is. Their criteria, as avid Tar Heel fans, was anywhere that felt like I belonged- excluding Duke. Unexpectedly, within seconds of being on campus, I knew where I belonged. The aura of the campus radiates the feeling that the students compose a true student body. The people illustrate this; the hordes waiting to get into Cameron Stadium;...

Saying that different parts of the country have varying social mores is a vast understatement. It is difficult to comprehend these differences without being immersed in the regions themselves- learning the vernaculars, facing the ideologies, and encountering the mass cultures are starkly different experiences than hearing testimonies about doing so. Prior to uprooting from Northern Virginia I had been under the impression that since North Carolina and Virginia shared a border they would have similar social structures and assimilating would...