New friends

Coming to Stanford was one of the scariest things I’d ever done. Not because I was going to college or leaving home for the first time—every college student has to go through that process—but because I was leaving my twin sister, Jordan, for the first time in my life. I was so nervous to not have my best friend by my side the first day I arrived to campus with my Dad. How was I going to make friends without her?

That's when I met my teammates.

Upon arriving to campus I had been texting with the other freshmen, Kaylee and Taylor. We all were worried about what to pack, what classes to take, what we should wear on the first day and so many other things that seem trivial now.

When I finally met them on campus though it was like I already had 2 friends. Then, once we started summer workouts I began to make friends with the whole team- 14 automatic friends.

As time passed though, I began to see my teammates as not only friends but sisters too. Every day we are together, sharing our ups and downs. When someone succeeds we all get happy for them, and when someone is down everyone is there to support them.

When I found out I had a stress fracture in my foot in October I was devastated, but my teammates were there to help me. Many of them even had gone through a similar experience and were there to offer advice. I can’t even imagine what I would have done without them!

So although I know no one could replace Jordan, my teammates have come pretty close and have made the adjustment to college easier then I could have imagined.

—Brittany Anne MPchee