How I've grown, what I've learned

I can honestly say that I did not expect to learn so much about myself when I got to college. I have always had pretty good study habits and great time management skills so I felt like my classes wouldn't be very challenging. For the most part that has held true, but I have also had to buckle down and study more this semester than I did during my entire high school experience. Knowing that there are many resources available to me as a Hixson scholar and being informed about them during seminar has also been very beneficial in my opinion. I also love all the people I met through Hixson. Yellow Lightning!

One of the things I was worried about when I got here was making friends-don't ask me why because I have never had trouble with meeting new people....but anyway, that was not an issue AT ALL! The girls on my floor are fantastic and I know I will be in touch with them for the rest of my life.

Overall, I think I have become much more self-reliant and self-confident this semester. I know what I want to do and I know how to buckle down and do the work to get there! I'm thankful for the Hixson seminar because I do feel like it helped me adjust a little and it's great to get to know people who are similar to me!

What the Hixson Award Means to Me

The Christina Hixson Opportunity Award has literally meant everything to me. Since my parents' divorce, money has been really tight in my family. My mom struggles to make ends meet for my sister and I without any support from our father. Without this scholarship covering half of my tuition I have no idea how I would have paid for college. I can now rest assured that half of my tuition is covered for my college career.

I read some of you guys' posts about how you felt when you opened the letter. I actually didn't open mine myself. I was away from home and my sister opened it for me. When she said I had received the award I don't have words to describe the emotions I felt. A HUGE weight had just been lifted off my family's shoulders and given me the oopportunity of a lifetime.

The Hixson award meant that I could attend ISU, the college I have known I wanted to come to since elementary school. It also means that there are fantastic resources available to me here on campus including the Hixson study lab, mentors, and connections with people who have stories like mine.

I truly believe that we are the most fortunate people on campus and I am forever grateful for this award!