Greetings and ROLL TIDE!!

Well, this weekend I moved into my dorm at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa (UA). It was a huge transition for me considering the fact that I did not know anyone and I was saying goodbye to all my friends and the people that I love. On the day I departed from Bessemer, I went to say goodbye to people that were dearest to me, with my Independent Living Program (ILP) Coordinator being the first. She, of course, made it much more difficult to leave. She gave me more words of encouragement. She tells me how proud she was that I was going to college despite the entire obstacle that can before me. She was right though. I never thought in a million years that I would go to the UA. I always thought I would be going to Lawson State Community College, or probably even on the streets homeless. However, my dream was actually coming true. She pointed this out to me and made me realize that if I haven’t stayed determined and keep my faith in Him, I would not be where I am today.

After this I went to visit my biological mother and sister. Of course this is never easy because the history between my mother and me is very complicated. Nevertheless, we are working on strengthen our relationship. My mother told me that she was very proud that I am the first in the family in the family to go to college. She told me that UA is very big and that I should not feel intimated by it. She also told me that have the uttermost faith in me because she already knows that I am smart. She said that my sister and I were making her proud and she kind of cried a little. It was a touching moment in my eyes because this is the first time my mother has ever told me that. She goes on to tell me that my sister and she will constantly check up on me to make sure that I am staying on track.

I hung out with my friend until my foster mother pulled up and I knew it was time to go. To be honest I was getting even nervous because I knew that this was it. The trip to Tuscaloosa seemed long; it started raining which added to my concerns that are going to turn out bad. On top of that, we could not find my dorm. UA is a huge, beautiful campus it is easy to get lost. By the time we did find my dorm, I was very irritated. When my foster mother showed up told me that I should be getting irritated so easy. To be honest, I think the real reason I got so irritated was that I did not want to leave my home to build a new home here in Tuscaloosa. I did not tell her this, but I think she knew. When I got to my room, my foster mother did not hesitate to help me get organized. I was trying my best not to cry because I knew after we got though, she would have to go back home. When we were finished organizing my room, she told me that she had to go. I gave her a hug and tried my best to hold back the tears. After everyone left well, I was by myself with my roommates. They end up leaving for a party, so I was in my dorm room by myself.
The next day was no better. There was a barbecue behind my dorm and I tried my best to mingle with the other residents of my dorm but it was extremely hard. I do not know why I was having a hard time doing this because I usually do not have a problem mingling, but I guess I was still nervous.

Sunday was much better. My previous social worker came to visit me and helped me buy cleaning supplies for my dorm. I told how I was having a hard time mingling and she told me to just calm down and be patient. I went to a live festival that UA was offering and I met one friend and we talked for awhile. Several of people spoke and introduce themselves to me, which made me feel a little better about being here. All and all, this weekend was learning experience for me. Now I know what to expect. The attitudes and the personalities here are completely different from what I am use to at high school. I think the real reason I am afraid to mingle with the students is because of my background is totally different from theirs. Oh my…

I will admit that I am still very nervous about being here at a huge university; I am up for the challenge. Keep me in you thoughts and prayers and thank you for helping me get where I am today. I keep informing you on my progress here at UA.

Yours Truly,

Sean H.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 16th, 2009 at 8:24 am by Orphan Foundation of America and is filed under A Foster Care to Success Story. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.