A gift

I feel like a child on Christmas Day. There are presents that I can open this weekend, but I have to wait for my turn. Just from dinner tonight I can tell that this experience is going to be unforgettable. I am ready to catch whatever is thrown at me this weekend. I am excited to be in the nation's capital for the first time, and I have to contain myself from yelling like a child! I did yell when Karen Catone called to say that I was accepted into the program. I cried, actually. I cried because there was a mistake in my resume, and I was positive that I never would be accepted as a Chips Quinn Scholar. I cried because the program saw something in me that most people don't. That one thing is a passion for journalism I couldn't curb if I wanted to. I think the program saw my inner child who has kept a journal for almost 20 years. It feels good to walk into a room full of people with experience, dedication, smiles and a willingness to help. I know we all have passions. We just happen to share the same one.

-- Isadora Vail-Castro, Texas State University-San Marcos, San Antonio Express-News