Dana Scott/Winonan

Madelynn Emmerich, a communications studies major at Winona State University, took time off school and spent seven months in Oakland, Cali. Emmerich said she would recommend the experience to other college students.

When Emmerich’s dad got a job in San Francisco, Emmerich took the opportunity to move with her parents in January 2015. At first, moving to California wasn’t as glamorous as one might expect it to be. Emmerich was living with her parents in a one-bedroom apartment, sleeping on their couch.

“It felt like everything I had worked up to the past twenty years was being taken away,” Emmerich said.

It took a month and a half for Emmerich to enjoy everything that California has to offer. Emmerich said she did this by focusing on living in the moment, and not thinking about what she was missing out on in Winona.

Once she started working at Trader Joe’s, a chain of specialty grocery stores, Emmerich’s life in California started to unfold. Her co-workers were very welcoming and helped her experience all California has to offer. Emmerich excitedly shared that they frequently went to the ocean. She even went surfing twice, hiked mountains, had cookouts and went on mini road trips to southern California.

Despite not being enrolled in school during her time in California, Emmerich learned a lot from her life experiences.

“Appreciate everything that is given to you,” Emmerich advises. “When it is given to you, even if it is something you don’t want, take nothing to granted. You don’t know what is in front of you; there is a bigger picture.”

During her time out of school, Emmerich also learned how important education is to her. She shared how extremely hard it was to make the decision to come back to Winona.

“The logical side of my brain said to go,” Emmerich said.“But the emotional side said to stay.”

Emmerich shared the factors that helped her make the decision to come back to Winona State for the fall semester: she did not want to stay at a part time job, it was not the time in her life to be living with her parents, it is a lot cheaper to live in Winona and most importantly, she realized her friends in Winona would only be here for the next two years; she stressed the importance of the social aspect college has to offer.

Emmerich said she is glad she came back to Winona State now, rather than later.  However, she would definitely suggest other college students to take time off.

“When you take time off, you have time to see what you actually want,” Emmerich said.

Because of her time away, Emmerich takes school more seriously; she knows she does not have to be here- she chooses to be.