By Anna Maria Petrov

Staff Writer 

Thanksgiving brings forth a feeling of joy and anticipation. This holiday has the potential to bring people together with each other and their families.

During the holidays, people tend to feel more happy and full of cheer, but Thanksgiving takes that a step further by also fostering a sense of thankfulness. One thing out of the many things that I am grateful for is my family and friends. The second is the chance to go to CSUSM, and the opportunity to experience and be a part of this community.

The third thing is that I am not afraid to be myself. I am thankful that I have grown as a person and student, and that is enough. The last thing that I am grateful for is the people in my life that are a big influence, and have inspired me to be brave and stand up for what I believe.

One thing I love and will be more involved in this year is helping my mom prepare the turkey and mash potatoes, her famous and delicious pumpkin cheesecake, as well as many other delicious dishes. Learning to cook has never been easy for me, but as everyone knows learning from mom is the best experience.

After missing the chance to go to CSUSM last year I was heartbroken, but finally transferring to this university this year has been very exciting to me. And it’s nice to feel like I can be a part of the community ever more.

In general, after graduating high school and starting college and now being here at CSUSM I have grown and truly become my own person for the first time. And, as I mentioned, there have been many people that have been a good influence in my life, like my parents and friends and even teachers.  In a way, every student can admit that there has been a teacher in their life that has inspired them and helped them out.

Everyone has many things to be grateful for, and as Thanksgiving approaches it gives us time to think hard and thoughtfully.