Hello fellow Captains! I hope you guys had a wonderful winter break and a good first day of classes! For this issue of my advice column, I wanted to do something a little different this time. Usually, I ask individuals what advice question they want me to write about, but this time, I decided to answer my own question.

I know many of you are thinking, why did you choose to write this advice column? I stumbled upon the idea of creating an advice column randomly. While searching through old newspapers years and years ago, our old Editor-in-Chief found an advice column we used to have in our paper. I jokingly mentioned how cool it would be to start my own advice column, but then turned my joke into a reality. The second semester of my sophomore year, I experimented with the idea, writing more and more advice every week. I started loving it and continued to write advice. 

However, there was another reason why I chose to start this advice column. Being the oldest in my family and a first generation college student, I had to learn everything on my own. I had to learn how to apply to colleges, how to use student loans, how to pick my major, practically everything. College for me then became more difficult to navigate as I didn’t receive much advice from my friends and family. My anxiety started to skyrocket and simple tasks started to feel incredibly daunting. However, after completing my first year of college, everything started becoming easier. I was able to navigate both my problems and my feelings. 

The goal of my advice column was to touch the hearts of students; that no matter what their circumstances or issues are, they always have someone giving them helpful advice that may solve their problems. College can be hard, and I want my advice column to be an assistance to those who are lost or struggling. I want to be the person that I wish I had met when I started at Christopher Newport University. 

I want the CNU community to know that there is always someone there to answer their questions, no matter how big or small. I want to be the big sister that you can lean on for support.

I will be continuing this advice column until I graduate, with the hope that I can pass it on to someone else. I hope that throughout the semester, my advice and encouraging words make a difference in our community. I am so thankful for the opportunity to help in creating a beautiful and motivating environment for my fellow CNU students.