As the end of senior year comes closer, the air is full of anticipation regarding acceptance letters and big plans in big cities. Everyone is excited, starting their countdowns, and writing their goodbye letters.
But I’m not going anywhere, not yet, at least.
While others chase their dreams hundreds or even thousands of miles away, I choose to stay right where I am. I’ll be attending our local community college, Porterville College, which is just a few miles away from places that have shaped me. And to be completely honest, I’ve never been more certain of anything.
Some may think students deciding to stay home rather than venturing out are scared. However, this choice isn’t about fear or settling. It’s about having clarity.
It’s about recognizing that growth doesn’t only happen in big cities or Ivy League campuses. It happens in familiar streets and late-night study sessions at the kitchen table with my cat napping beside me. It happens in quiet ways, like staying close to the people that matter the most to me while I continue to figure out who I am and what I want my future to look like.
I love my home. I love being comforted by my mother and cat when I walk through the front door. I love being met with the smell of a loving Hispanic home-cooked meal. I’m not ready to leave that behind, especially when it still feels like the center of who I am.
I know two more years here won’t freeze time. I am able to recognize that things will change, relationships will transition, and friendships will end, but life will continue to do what it knows best: evolve. But I’m ready for that. I’m not naïve to the fact that while I stay, nothing will remain the same, and that’s completely okay. I am learning to hold space for change and still feel connected to where I am.
I’ve had people ask me, “Aren’t you a straight A student?” or “But you have a 4.2!” as if those grades mean I should be rushing off to a big university. But chasing a life far from home right after high school is not for me. The world tells us that the higher the GPA, the further we should go, but success is not measured by distance. I am choosing a place where I feel supported and true to myself.
Two more years here is not time wasted, it’s time invested. I’ll be growing, learning, and saving money while staying in the community that raised me.
This isn’t the loudest choice. It won’t come with a new zip code or dorm room view, but it’s my choice, and it’s the right one for me.
To all the other students staying, I see you. You’re not missing out. You’re not falling behind. You’re choosing your way of growth because moving forward does not always mean moving away.
Sometimes, it means staying where you are.
