College looms over most high school students, casting a dark shadow over much much of their high school experience. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

College should be something we enjoy and cherish. It should be something we look forward to. Elle Ping, a 2017 graduate of RHS, is a perfect example of a stellar person with a stellar college experience.

So I sat down with her over brunch to discuss all of her post high school achievements. Elle Ping currently attends Skidmore College, majoring in Environmental Science and minoring in Geoscience and Dance. She is on the school’s Quidditch team, “The Great Stone Dragons” (who were offered a spot at nationals but turned it down), in a tap troop “Stomping Soles” (not just as a dancer, but a choreographer), and she plans to study abroad in Tanzania next semester.

But perhaps most impressively, Elle became Features editor of the Skidmore’s newspaper “The Skidmore News” in just her sophomore year. She was recruited into the newspaper by her friend, the Arts and Entertainment editor, who asked her to write a short listicle. Soon, she was hooked and worked her way up to her current position.

Elle surprised herself in college. If you take Elle’s advice and “don’t get trapped, be open to new opportunities” you too could make college a transformative experience. Elle Ping is thriving and you can too.

So don’t fear college— eagerly await it. Who knows? You could end up on a nationally acclaimed Quidditch team too.