Teresa Gorrell: Growing up, my typical school day was very different compared to what most kids experience. Every morning, I'd roll out of bed, slide my feet into some slippers, and run downstairs. I ate breakfast in my pajamas and then watched TV with my sisters until my mom said that we needed to hurry up and get ready for school.

At the sound of the school bus wheezing to a stop at the street corner, I'd press my nose against the window pane and watch the neighborhood kids board one by one, weighed down by overstuffed backpacks and cartoon-themed lunch boxes. I'd lean against the window until I could no longer see anything but a blur of yellow trailing off into the distance.

Finally, it was time for me to start my own school day. I'd grab my notebook and gathered around the dining room table with my siblings. My mother brought out our textbooks and whatever else was needed for the day's assignments. Our homeschooling day had begun.

For me, being homeschooled was truly a joy. My family used a rigorous curriculum, but I truly relished the challenge it presented. I worked at my own pace, progressing more quickly on the subjects that were easier for me and spending more time on the tougher ones. It was also fun to be able to spend so much time with my sisters.

This routine continued from my preschool years until seventh grade. But then things started to get tough. The coursework became increasingly difficult and the workload sometimes felt crushing. By the end of my eighth grade year, I fell behind and had to work through the summer months in order to catch up.

At the start of my ninth grade year, my parents made the decision to enroll me in the local public high school. This decision was very upsetting. I enjoyed being homeschooled, despite the demanding work. I was intimidated by the idea of change. I didn't want to leave the comfortable familiarity of my home. I fought my parents decision fiercely. But their minds were made up.

One of my major fears walking through the doors on my first of public school was entering the social scene. Now, it's not as if I'd been completed isolated form the world the first 14 of years of my life. I belonged to a 4-H club, went to Sunday school and played community softball. However, these activities did not adequately prepare me for the culture shock I experienced upon entering the public school system. I had rarely been exposed to the kind of language I began hearing in everyday conversation among my peers and sometimes even from my teachers.

For the most part, I had to make friends from scratch. I was self-conscious. I always felt like I was being inspected, like a specimen under a microscope. As time went on, I slowly acclimated to my new environment. I began to join school-sponsored clubs and organizations, which gave me the opportunity to bond with my peers. I became more comfortable around my classmates and my teachers.

As I continued to participate in school clubs and activities, I wanted to become more deeply involved. I began to take on leadership roles within these groups. This gave me the opportunity work extensively with group members in planning and organizing, which then forced me to polish my communication and cooperation skills. I proved to others and to myself that I was a capable leader.

Confidence was not a trait that I held prior to my freshman year of high school. However, in the process of branching out and exercising leadership, I learned to trust my capabilities. Today, this feeling of self-assurance infuses all aspects of my life.

I can now face unfamiliar situations with composure. I can deliver an impromptu speech or perform on stage or introduce myself to someone new without a qualm. Becoming self-confident has strengthened me as a communicator, as a leader, and as an individual.

Looking back, I'm certain that the transition from a lifetime of homeschooling to the public school system was the most difficult challenge I've ever faced. Yet I don't regret assuming that challenge. My years in high school helped form me, helped me to grow as a communicator, a leader, and an individual.

This past fall, I ventured out on another new expedition into another unknown realm, that of college. There is so much to adapt to in a college setting. Dorm life certainly hold its fair share of potential for culture shock and personality conflicts.

A first year freshman college student must learn to balance extracurricular activities with school and other responsibilities. The college years are an era of independence, a time of new freedoms and choices. While no experience can fully prepare a person for change, I believe that my formative years in high school prepared me well for college. In high school, I built upon the foundations laid by my homeschool education. By becoming involved in groups, exercising leadership, and deliberately developing my character, I fashioned myself into a better version of me.

Now that I'm in college, my morning routine has reverted back to my homeschooling days. Every morning, I roll out of bed, push my feet into some slippers, and eat breakfast in my pajamas. As I walk along the edge of campus on the way to class, I watch schoolchildren across the street trudging up the giant steps to a big yellow bus. My eyes stay fixed on the bus as it shuts its doors and rolls away.

The sight always brings me back to those memories of having my nose pressed up against the window pane, peering out into the real world and wondering what it's like. Through my struggles and lessons in high school, it's just as if that glass has been broken. I've now entered the real world. And I'm still in the process of defining who I am and where I sit in it. My past experiences will continue to guide me as I become the person who I dream to be. Thank you.