Everyone has that dream they would like to profile; however, it is so easy for many to lose sight of what is good while along the way. Over the last couple weeks of living out my childhood dream, I have come to realize that I too have missed out on some golden opportunities in the past .

While I do not regret the long hours of hard work and dedication to my studies as I strived to succeed after returning to Grand Forks, I have found the greatest moment of my experiences here during the past few weeks, has been when I finally realized what I missed during my preparation over the past 10 years.

I originally wanted to come back to Grand Forks to get away from Cheyenne, Wyoming and fellow students my age; however, I recently saw an old classmate from high school who played in a soccer game against UND. Seeing her really changed my views.

Growing up, I never saw myself really being able to approach soccer player Makena Cameron, let alone anyone else. I felt I could never be as valuable as others due to the fact that I could never get past being bullied while in Wyoming. Despite knowing very little about Cameron, joy filled the air for me as I saw her walking toward me following the game.

Having finally found the courage to go and cheer my heart out against North Dakota, I realized that I no longer would need to live through the University or be on the run.

As unexpected as it was, Cameron and her teammates showed me so much more appreciation following the game then I could have ever had envisioned.

No matter what the dreams are that you reaching for, be sure not to let opportunities or fellow neighbors pass you by. I found myself within the dream, but others may not be so fortunate.