My freshman year has really been a journey. I’ve grown so much. In ways that I can’t even describe. But one of the ways I did grow was that I found my voice. I mean this literally and figuratively. Literally, I started singing. Music has always been a major part of my life. I stopped singing a long time ago, in fear that someone would tell me I didn’t “sound good”. It happened once, when I was younger, so I pretty much stopped. And if I did, I never actually used my real voice, I would just half sing so if I didn’t sound good no one would judge me. Over this year, I’ve realized that I will be judged. This is not always a negative thing, but it is a thing. But I’ve also learned that opinions of others do not define me. I define myself. So I started singing again (with encouragement from my sister). I’ve realized that it helps me. You can define yourself and the opinions of others are simply opinions. Define yourself. Be the type of friend you want to have. Be the best version of yourself.