Keep On Keeping On

Keep On Keeping On One day, you’re 17 and you’re planning for someday And then quietly, without you ever really noticing, someday is today. And then someday is yesterday. And this is your life.â€"John Green Sometimes we all just need a reminder for why we keep pushing on, especially this time of the school year when pressures are high and unknowns are numerous. That reminder may come in many forms: a call from a friend, a compliment from a mentor, or that voice inside your head telling you to move forward. The future is a scary place for us all. Ironically, I feel just as afraid and unsure as I did four years ago when deciding where to go to college. Now, Im in the exact same position, deciding where I want to begin my professional career. Make the moments count. I cant stress enough the importance of making the most of each moment. It sounds cheesy and cliche, I know, but time will fly by. Photo by Rachel Hernandez This past weekend I had the opportunity to go on a road trip with my friends. In a sense, it was our last hoorah before we graduate, move to different places, and begin our next steps. While I wouldnt trade our memories made for anything, I couldnt help but feel a sense of sadness when Sunday rolled around. Alas, just one more event was checked of my to-do list before graduation. A close friend reminded me that the next step isnt the end of our chapter, but the beginning of an even greater, bigger, more exciting one. Keep on keeping on. The truth is that your next step is right around the corner. No matter what happens next, no matter which path you choose, life has a funny way of just falling into place. Each memory made and each lesson learned along the way will always be with you, no matter what the next unknown may be. Rachel Class of 2020 I am studying Middle Grades Education with concentrations in Social Sciences and Literacy in the College of Education. Although I now reside in Champaign, I am originally from Vernon Hills, a Northwest suburb of Chicago.