There is one word I can think of to best describe my experience at Kent State: ironic. When I began my freshman year, I thought I had my life all figured out. I barely made it through sophomore year before my carefully constructed plans started to unravel.

You’ve probably heard the expression, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” That is definitely a prominent theme in my life. I also firmly believe that God has a sense of humor, which became more apparent as I progressed further in my college experience.

When I was seventeen, I wanted to be a rabbi – I never in a million years expected to be drawn to Christianity in the fall of my sophomore year.

I never thought I’d get the chance to study abroad and end up learning difficult, but worthwhile, lessons about leaving what is comfortable and familiar.

There were other experiences that will make college one of the most memorable periods of my life; from being baptized in the Student Recreation and Wellness Center pool, to getting a tattoo, to legally changing my name, college has been a never-ending series of drastic decisions that I never thought I’d make. I have surprised myself, my family and close friends and learned so much about the nature of unconditional love.

I also never expected to become a columnist for the Daily Kent Stater and expose my most personal, tightly-held convictions for the entire campus to read. My goal for being a columnist was to challenge people to think deeper about issues that go beyond the scope of daily college life. If I was able to inspire just one person, even if I infuriated everyone else, it will have been worth it.

I firmly believe that those who are most reluctant to understand someone else’s worldview, regardless of how abhorrent it may seem, are the ones who are most likely to experience a complete 180. If your beliefs are never challenged, if you’ve never had to step outside your comfort zone, you are not living in reality. We are all searching for some kind of purpose, and it may come to you at the most inconvenient time. It happened to me, and it could happen to anybody.

I quickly learned how naïve I was to expect my original plans from high school to stay the same as I got older. I learned that no one can stay the same forever – life just does not allow for that to happen. I have a better understanding now of where I am meant to go in life – I’m contemplating a career as a chaplain or pastoral counselor, but I know that those plans can change at any given time.

The following verse from Proverbs 3:5-6 is the motto of my life: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, and he will show you which path to take.”

Go where you are meant to go, and everything will fall into place.