The experiences I’ve had upon my return to Iowa State from a two-month, coma-inducing car accident have built my character and confidence. Through the infancy of my recovery, I’ve had several obstacles to overcome.

For starters, I had to come to terms with the fact that I endured this horrific trauma, which occurred in November 2002. I was also informed that doctors felt during the early stages of my recovery that I had less than a 20 percent chance of being able to make it on my own, let alone attend a university far from my family again.

I’ve also had to overcome tedious little things such as relearning to tie my shoes – and they’re not little, they’re size 18, so that’s a lot of cowhide – using the restroom on my own, how to “act” in public places and – as most freshmen should know all too well – getting acquainted, or in my case reacquainted, with the campus and campus life. Like many people, who may also share adversities such as my own, I’ve had to relearn who I am. That’s scary enough in itself.

In spite of these obstacles, here I am fulfilling my dreams of graduating and hopefully becoming a reporter for a major newspaper someday. I’ve learned that people should never give up on their goals and always start off with the right foot forward.

A character developer was when my article, “TeenSpeak is (like, totally) inappropriate” appeared on the front page of the Iowa State Daily. Its appearance was a dream come true for me and it also helped build my self-confidence. All the congratulations and comments I’ve received on my article have basically sent the aforementioned adversities I’ve faced into the backdrop, giving me a sense of hope for tomorrow.

One thing that I have learned through my hardships would be that if you want something bad enough, your determination will pay off for you somewhere down the road. Through my writing, I have found new and different ways of being able to express myself. Not only do I feel like someone again, but I feel as if I have a certain purpose and that I can again be the happy Bryan I once was.

I need to keep the obstacles and adversities I’ve faced in perspective, knowing that no matter what life places in front of me, that I’ll have the strength and determination to succeed at whatever I do. I hope that my story may inspire others by showing them that nothing at all is impossible as long as you stick with it.

– Bryan Hooyman is a junior in pre-journalism and mass communication from Waterloo.