I graduated high school in spring of 2022 at the age of 18. I said goodbye to the people I’d seen every day for more than a decade, and drove my car to a hiking trail about 30 miles away. Halfway through that hike I flipped a coin, letting it decide my fate. I never saw what side it landed on. 

Two and a half years later, I’m graduating college in fall of 2024 at the age of 21, and I feel the exact same way. I’m counting down each day until the day comes that my life changes forever. In all honesty, the thought terrifies me.

I’m writing this column on Nov. 4, 2024, the night before our wonderful country decides its fate as well, and I feel the same sense of anxiety I felt when I flipped that coin on my hike two and a half years ago. I think about that coin a lot, and I’ve come to this conclusion. Regardless of what side the coin lands on, I have to keep moving forward. 

To quote my favorite game, “Xenoblade Chronicles 3,” “This is the truth of our world. Memories melt in the morning light, and then, a new day begins. Roads stretch out before us. So many paths. Which do you choose? That’s up to you. Sometimes, you might run astray. You’ll stop, maybe cry in frustration. But that’s alright. For the roads, they go on without end. So look up, face forward, toward your chosen horizon, and just … walk on.”

I’m proud of all that I’ve done during my time at App State; the friends I’ve made, the works I’ve created and the memories that I will treasure for the rest of my life. So, with fear in my heart and a smile on my face, I will walk toward my chosen horizon, because that is the future I decide for myself.