Day by day

You think you know what something is like, but you really don't know until you experience it. This is what college has been for me. I always knew I was going to college and was really excited to finally get my chance. It dawned on me at graduation that, "Wow, I am really going to be a freshmen in college this fall." I was so ready to be independent, out on my own, make my own decisions, and be responsible like a good young adult should.

When I arrived at Texas Christian University, I was very excited and happy that I was here and was just so thankful; thankful to God that he had allowed me to go to my number one choice. TCU is really far from my home in Maryland, but I was ready to take a chance, "leave the nest" I guess you could say. I had chosen a number of schools, but when it came down to deciding, I was very clear on my decision. I had visited TCU twice before I accepted and just knew that this was the place that I wanted to go to, and more important, where God wanted me to go. Everything just fit right.

The campus is beautiful, the people are friendly, and the weather, might I add,is something I always wanted, hot. Well, maybe not now because it is December, but at the time I started it was. One great thing that I experienced here at TCU was Frog Camp. It is a first-year camp in the summer for incoming freshmen, to kind of get to know each other. It was so great because you have a preconceived notion as a new student that you'll just be dropped into a school and then not know anybody. But Frog Camp changed that. I met so many wonderful people. With people from all over, with different backgrounds and races, it was a joy to be there and as a result, I knew a lot of freshmen and even upperclassmen going into the first day of class.

My major here at TCU is Theatre. I love theatre, and I enjoy this program. The faculty and the department are so great and give off such a warm atmosphere. Being in their classes and in their offices, I feel so humbled to be in front of such great teachers. They are always willing to help and listen and they really want the best out of you. I have not been a part of any main stage plays, but I have costume-run crewed for one of them called "We Need A Little Christmas" which we just finished up, as well as being in an annual Halloween show that the Theatre Department puts on called "Bard on The Rocks" and a reading of a show called "Peace Keepers."

I feel that I have grown as an actor, but I have so much more to learn and am so excited to learn and see what is in store next. I know that soon I will be seen and recognized for my abilities. Even watching all the shows we have put on this semester, I have learned a lot watching the upperclassmen act and seeing what could be me later on in my college career. I get excited just thinking about the future and that one day I could be famous and in movies and television. I really don't know for sure if this is God's plan, but I'm going to follow my heart till I know.

Even with all the events and friends, there are still those days where I feel unhappy; days where I don't feel like doing anything. I won't say I'm depressed or stressed, even though school work can be tough; I sometimes need time to think. Think about my life and where I am going. I'll admit sometimes I feel horrible and that nobody is there or understands. Sometimes I feel like I want to go home, especially now that the semester is almost over and I haven't been home in almost four months. I even have days where I feel that I can't accomplish anything. One verse always helps me though to get back on my feet and it is my favorite verse. It is Matthew 19:26 and it reads, "But Jesus looked at them and said to them, 'With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." This verse just reminds me that whenever I feel like I am trapped or I can't do anything, or I need help, just to know that God is always there. He can help me through any obstacles that are going on in my life. I can't always rely on what friends say, or my family, or Facebook even, but God will always have my back, and that's the truth.

Arrington Foster is in his first year as a HELM Leadership Fellow and is a member of United by Faith Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Clinton, Maryland.