I don’t know why they call it continuation, because it is just as much a graduation as any other. I consult my in house expert, “Mom, why is it called continuation and not graduation?”
“Because you’re continuing your education, Kendra”
“I get that, but even after High School graduation, you continue your education, so why isn’t that called graduation.”
“I guess because you can stop your education there, but you’re not, right?”
“Wow”

“You see why that’s funny, because you already know what school you want to go to, without even going to your first period of high school.” And she was right. Westmont College, a small christian liberal arts school in Santa Barbara, California. My brother goes there, and he plays baseball for them. That was the summer that my family went back to europe to see out family friends, the Mells. On our flight out there, there was a high school boys soccer team, going to play some friendlies in germany on a nike program. At that moment in my life specifically, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life but I did know that I love soccer. So, that trip was when I decided that I want to see how far I can get playing soccer, meaning play in college while I am figuring out what I want to do with my life.

Now, I am a Senior in high school, and my top school is still Westmont. I start packing my bags with various necessities for the ever changing santa barbara weather fro my visit this weekend. I get on my southwest plane, and since it is open seating I sit next to someone that isn’t good, but not bad, in that I won’t talk to them, but I won’t regret sitting there for any reason. I keep a seat between us, because it is not a super full flight. Then this nasty obviously sick middle aged man decides to sit between us, and if the airplane isn’t gruby enough with all of the shared germs, he has to sneeze and blow his nose with such force. I land at LAX, I run past crowds to get to In-n-Out just in time to get my special meal of a cheeseburger, pink lemonade, and animal style fries, also known as a number two wild style. A trip to California without going to In-n-Out at least once is a trip wasted. I then rush back to terminal one to catch the airbus up to Santa Barbara. I was minding my business, just listening to music and trying to fall asleep for a portion of the two hour drive, when I go to readjust to get into a better sleeping position. I slip on someone’s spilled drink and hit my shin so hard on the seat in front of me. I wake up to the screeching sound of the bus coming to a stop and a muffled hispanic Welcome to Santa Barbara. Westmont here I come.

I step off of the bus receiving a text from my student driver,
“I am here, in a silver Subaru Impreza, I will be taking you up to Kerwood Hall.”

“Okay sweet, Thank you so much” I reply with composure, when in all reality, I am scared out of my mind: this school could be my future. We make it to Kerwood, then I am picked up by my host for the first night, Maddie. She is a slender, small framed girl with very thin brown hair. She is in orchestra and is definitely a more reserved girl. I begin to talk to her, it turns out that she is from an area of Washington near me. She invites me to go watch a movie with her in the other end of Clark hall where the boys she’s friends with lives, a spread out block, suite style of on campus housing. I enter to find a bunk bed, decorated with generic boy sheets and ikea duvet. A clear floor, but it’s definitely not completely clean, I opt to sit in a chair. They start to talk about which movies to watch, I can tell that these are not quite the type of people that I would be friends with. They are more of the geeky, unathletic, and weirdly funny people. For example some of the girls dressed like they were straight out of a tumblr post, meaning really, edgy, kawaii, and semi emo yet basic. They decide to watch she’s the man, a really good movie actually.

The morning comes up like a cop from behind you, out of nowhere and too quick. I get up as fast as humanly possible and scramble to take a shower. With the morning starting off so slow, I miss breakfast, and my appointment with admissions and head directly to friday chapel. We belt our hearts out for the lord, then head back to Clark K and grab my things for the day. Then, stop by admissions to grab my packet for the day, with my schedule, and meal passes. Then, we head up from Kerwood, where the admissions office is, to the dining commons, better known as the ‘DC’ by students. I enter, and a wave of sound hits me, today’s main option, Philly cheesesteaks. Surprisingly great fro a cafeteria, I grab a cup of Manzana Sol, a mexican apple soda, that I rarely if ever get, because I can only find it in Mexico. I then head to a class of exploratory spanish to see how I like classes, and get a feel for college classes. I then return to upper campus, then head back down the hill to the practice field. I walk down with shaking hands I am about to meet the women’s soccer coach, and the team. I watch them start their warm ups with utter composure and grace. All of these girls are in great shape and are as muscular as ever. They start a simple passing drill, their one touches are perfection, and their traps, flawless. This will be me.