The Terrifying Beginning of My Sophomore Year: Starting Over Without My Friends

Returning to the University of Tampa for my sophomore year should have felt familiar—but almost everyone I had depended on was gone.

My best friend and roommate did not return. Other friendships I had begun building disappeared as well. I arrived back on campus after a 24-hour Greyhound bus ride, carrying a military duffel bag on my back and a footlocker on my head, knowing that I would have to figure out this new chapter largely on my own.

At the same time, I was stepping into new responsibilities as a resident assistant, continuing ROTC, beginning more challenging science courses, and working through college work-study. Beneath all of that was a deeper fear: I was a poor Black student from Arkansas surrounded by people I believed came from very different backgrounds, and I questioned whether I had anything valuable to offer them.

In this episode, I reflect on what it felt like to return to college terrified, uncertain, and alone—and how that frightening reset became one of the most important adult-shaping experiences of my life.

Sometimes starting over is not proof that everything has fallen apart. Sometimes it is the beginning of discovering who you are capable of becoming.

Call to Action Have you ever returned to a familiar place only to discover that everything had changed? Share your own experience with starting over, and follow the podcast for more stories about growth, resilience, college life, and the experiences that shaped the person I became.

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