Author Spotlight
Anne Willman
Your signature. It doesn’t mean much. Not as a high school student. But it means everything on two days of the year. The day when you have the focus solely on you.
National signing day.
I was happy to attend a signing on Wednesday in the East library. I had the opportunity to see good friends dressed head to toe with their respective college colors, write their name on that white little paper. Balloons floated in the library with university mascots–Willie the Wildcat, Smokey and Jonathon the Husky.
I have always imagined something like that to happen to me. The day when I could officially commit to a school. The day that indicated that all of my hard work had paid off.
I attended my first college signing day in fourth grade. My cousin signed with a Division-1 volleyball team. I had no idea what it meant. I had no idea my cousin was that great at volleyball until many years later.
In the seventh grade, I attended my second signing. I saw one of my best friends sign. He was dressed in Cornhusker red and had a smile from ear to ear. He posed for picture after picture. He was the only one that signed in the fall period at East in 2008.
He was my brother.
Seeing him sign that little white paper didn’t seem like that big of a deal then. But now, it means more than it ever did. I remember thinking that college was in the distant future, but now I realize that it is approaching. That both scares me and excites me.
And now, in 11th grade, I am focusing on my future. My brother is wrapping up his senior year at Nebraska and I am looking forward.
I have heard people talk of the National Letter of Intent day numerous times. Seeing the athletes from East sign this year has made it that much more real.
Although the piece of paper may be thin. Or it may be little. It is way more than that. It is big. It is a commitment that will dictate how you will live your college career. The decision to play a college sport means sacrificing part of the typical college life. Social life is altered. Free time is limited. And dozens of days of school are missed. You give all of that up to do the thing you love most–your sport.
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