As the school year winds down, De Soto High School seniors begin to look forward excitedly to their future, knowing that this next year will be much different from anything that they have experienced. For senior Hannah Wilson, that concept of change is especially true.

Next school year, Wilson will be attending the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona to major in pre-neuroscience and cognitive science.

“I decided I wanted to go to University of Arizona after my visit,” Wilson explained. “I had already known it was an incredible school with one of the best medical schools in the country, but when I visited I fell in love with the campus and knew it was for me.”

While Wilson is really excited to go down to Tempe, moving 18 hours away can be incredibly nerve-wracking, especially after only ever having lived in De Soto prior.

“I’m incredibly scared to move far away. I won’t know anyone there and growing up in a town where I know everybody to moving across the country entirely alone makes me terrified. However, I know this is a decision that going to help me grow and thrive after high school,” Wilson said.

Despite the initial fear of the move, Wilson is ready for a change of scenery and is really looking forward to her time down in Arizona.

“The thing I’m most excited about for Arizona is where the campus is located. The campus is entirely surrounded by mountains and even the Saguaro National Park,” Wilson said. “Everything there is so beautiful, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s warm all the time.”

Wilson also believes that if others are wanting to go out of state for college but are a little scared of moving far away, they should go for it because they’ll eventually adapt to their new environment.

“I would suggest taking that leap because if you’re in the fence because  it means a big part of you wants to leave, but you’re probably just scared.” Wilson said. “So I would recommend getting out of your comfort zone because you never know, it could be the best thing you’ve ever done.”