A True Texan

Throughout high school, I participated in many extracurriculars. I danced until I was 16 years old, then I joined the JV, and later the Varsity, cheerleading squad. I was on student council, serving as Homeroom Representatives, Student Advisory Committee, and senior year the Student Body President. I was involved in Junior Statesmen of America, French Club, Key Club, National Honor Society, National French Honor Society... I was always busy. But in my free time, I still enjoyed time with my family exploring Houston. Once I was driving, I realized how much traffic Houston had, because of how huge it was. There were days that it took me an hour and a half to get to school. And if I stayed late at school, I was definitely in the rush hour traffic. My new high school friends introduced me to many more parts of Houston. I would go out to eat with them, and we always tried new places all over Houston. Whether it was the Montrose area, Sugar Land, Highland Village or the Galleria Area, I was seeing places that my parents hadn't even known of.

One of my best memories of high school, was the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. It is one of the biggest highlights of the year. For approximately 3 weeks in March, Houston hosts the world's largest livestock exhibition and millions of people attend the carnivals and concerts. In high school, we would all spend our days at the carnival, eating fried oreos and corndogs, and then going to see country music bands perform at Reliant Stadium. This arena is not like any other--it lives up to the statement "everything is bigger in Texas." With over 71,000 seats, the place is amazing during a concert. I will never forget the nights that my friends and I spent together there.

When applying for colleges and universities, I knew I wanted to stay in the south. I applied to schools in the SEC and Big 12, because I love football. I ended up coming down to 2 choices-- Ole Miss and Texas Christian University. I had visited both and loved the atmosphere of each. Most of the statistics and characteristics of the schools matched up, so my decision ultimately came down to location. I couldn't handle the thought of moving 9 hours away from Texas. I had to stay here. I needed my country music, my Tex-Mex food and the non-existent winters. I have never regretted my decision. I am only 4 hours away from the best city in Texas... and Fort Worth is in a close second!