My name is Jacki Dare Fritz, and I'm a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I am pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in public relations through the School of Journalism and Mass Communications and will graduate this May. After graduation, I plan to move to New York City to get a "real" job. Who knows where the road will take me? All I know is the road that I've come from, and that's what I want to share with you.

To start, I was born in Charlottesville, Virginia, and I lived there until I was 12. Growing up, I spent most every weekend hiking or camping with my family. To this day, the taste of smores, the smell of a campfire or just a walk outside help me remember those wonderful memories. My love for the mountains was undeniable. Thus, moving to Nags Head, a small beach town on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, was a very drastic change. Eventually, I grew to love the beach. I began to love the surf, the constant breeze and the smell of the ocean air. All the while, I realized that my true passion was not in the mountains or at the beach but in my travels.

In the spring of 2002, I finally decided to pursue this dream, and I studied abroad at The University of Wollongong in Wollongong, Australia. During that semester, I learned a lot about others and, more importantly, about myself. On one evening in particular, I remember going for a run to the Wollongong lighthouse. I remember sitting on the beach and watching the waves lap over the shore. The sun was setting, and the surfers were catching a few last sets for the night. At that point, I realized I had reached one of my dreams, and I also realized that there is nothing holding me back from reaching any of my other dreams. There are no limits.

My advice: Carpe Diem and live each moment to the fullest. As for me, I plan to do the same and make every day count.

This site is a work in progress so E-mail me if you want. Please let me know what you think.