When I first arrived at IU I was unsure of who exactly I was. I knew what I liked and what I didn't but there was something I was missing. The beginning of the school year was tough for me. It wasn't easy for me to make friends like it used to be. I felt alone.

Slowly I started making connections with people. I found people with all kinds of different backgrounds to talk to and learn from. I even found a group of people that were just as geeky as me. Eventually I had plans every night with different people. There was only one problem; I still wasn't quite sure who I was.

Then one day, when I was about to get dinner with my main group of friends, I met someone new. I'll call him Collin on here. It turns out Collin was a part of the group but I hadn't met him because he wanted to focus on school work.

Collin and I hit it off very well. It got to a point where we would hang out even if the group wasn't around. I considered him my best friend. We would sit around and talk about everything we could think of. One of the conversations we had was different though. He asked me to explain who I was as a person. I found myself talking about my "not so great" childhood, my volunteer work, my love of video games, and my overall caring for those around me. He just looked at me and laughed saying, "That is so you."

That's when something in my head clicked on. I am me. I am a girl that goes to IU and can be a little crazy but everyone loves me for who I am. I guess I just quit caring about analyzing after that.

Collin didn't stay at IU, to my disappointment. We stay in touch, but I don't think I'll ever be able to thank him for helping me realize that I am me and that's all that matters.

Name: Jessalyn Sommer
Hometown: Cannelton
Degree and Major: Bachelors in Arts and Sciences with a Double Major in Communication and Culture, and Theater and Drama
Graduation Year: 2015