Black Pearl

Change, in a lot of ways, is intimidating. It is unpredictable. It is constant. Sometimes, change is downright scary.

Not for everyone however.

Ann DeVillers, 22, is, in some ways, finally starting to feel comfortable in her own skin. As a confident, outspoken and inquistive senior in college, she bares almost no resembelence - both in physical appearance and with personality - to the girl she used to be.

The girl she used to be, in fact, was quiet and shy. Also, Ann, implying that she's changed both on the inside and out, says in a way that showcases her new found confidence, "I didn't always used to look like this."

High school was forgettable at best for her. With few friends and a small town high school that did nothing for her self-esteem, she was eager to start over.

And she did.

A move to Oshkosh was, as she put it, a "way to reinvent" herself. Both physically and mentally, Ann arrived at college with a new look. Confidence and friends grew steady as she went out Freshman year and put the ugly memories of high school behind her.

No longer was Ann just watching the surrounding world swirl by her from the outside. She was now in it. She was now experiencing it.

As it turns out, she also plans out reporting about it.

Now in her Senior year, Ann is planning to become a journalist (which, one would suppose, isn't exactly the line of work for a shy person). This expected career, above all else, sheds light on just how different she has become. At one time, she would avoid talking to people and wanted to blend into the shadows. Now, however, she will one day be going out of her way to talk to people and to be the voice for others.

Change, no doubt, has been good to Ann.