My last semester of college was the time when my true learning began.

I was a young woman ready to set herself free, to head out into the world and show people what I was made of. But the late nights in the library had started to take their toll and I increasingly caught myself lost in daydreams when I should have been studying. It was a naughty form of escape I’d developed and it got me into what some might call trouble. I call it extra credit.  

I was at a carrel in one of the most secluded corners of the large campus library, surrounded by bookshelves. The last student I’d seen was an hour earlier. It was a week before finals and I was feeling the stress. But I knew it wouldn’t be long before I’d never have to spend long nights cramming in this place again.

My mind drifted from... Read More