One for One

Tonight, I’m sitting in my room thinking about how quickly my first year of college has flown by. I’m also sitting here completely amazed at how much has changed, how much I’ve changed. I still marvel at the fact that we’ll be moving out in just three weeks – some days it seems like we just moved in!

But most of the time it doesn’t feel that way.. Because things aren’t the same as they were in August. For one thing, I have wayyyyy more friends than I think I’ve ever had. They’re pretty fantastic – without them, my year would have been totally different. My class of Miller Honors students has become more of a close-knit group of friends (being stuck on a bus for 3 hours together does that to you). You know what else is different? I’m a Christian now! Being part of my Bible study and CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ) has truly changed my life.

Coming to Ball State has opened my eyes in so many ways. For one thing, I can now see how many incredible opportunities students have here. The possibilities are endless. Literally. Some days, my roommate and I are stressing about which opportunity to choose because there are so many! But I love it when we realize just how lucky we are to have these opportunities. The world is ours – I mean, really. I’m going to Europe on a field study next month! I never could have done that a year ago. My mind is now open to some amazing opportunities for internships over the next three years too.

Something else my eyes have been opened to this year is the fact that we are not alone on this world. College, and especially Ball State, presents so many opportunities to get involved in something bigger than yourself, whether it be in the local community or in the rest of the world. Let me tell you about something I recently experienced.

TOMS Shoes sponsors a really cool international event every year called “One Day Without Shoes.” The idea is that people around the world go barefoot for a day to spread awareness for those who never have the choice to wear shoes. TOMS has a one-for-one policy: for every pair of shoes bought, one pair is donated to a child in need. So cool! I just love this idea and decided to participate on April 5, 2011.

The photos below are from a barefoot walk entitled “Take the Walk” that coincided with One Day Without Shoes. About 50 of us walked a mile around campus in our bare feet!