Kimberlee Styron The decision to share my story regarding married life in college excited me right off the bat, as it has been the best decision for me. I won’t speak for my husband, but I hope he agrees. I married my high school sweetheart, Shelby Styron, when we were both 18 years old, in August of 2016. Now we are both seniors graduating from Troy University in May with our bachelor’s degrees in business administration. Getting married young will land you some pretty strange looks, I know because my husband and I still get them today. Getting married right out of high school may seem strange to some, but for us, it made perfect sense. We had been together since freshman year of high school and got engaged in February of our senior year. We knew we wanted to get married and start doing life together as soon as we could and had thought it through for a long time— when you know, you know. Being married while in college has been amazing for many reasons. College is really tough. The one thing that has helped me through the transition of high school to college was that my husband was beside me for each and every new experience. We took classes that we could together, made friends together, joined organizations together, and went through all the college experiences together. When I look back on the past four years, I honestly don’t know how I could have made it through without him. He always was there, for the good and bad days, when I was celebrating victories, and when I felt like college was defeating me. Being married young, and in college together means you have your biggest cheerleader there supporting you 24/7/365. Your spouse is your backbone and your best friend. Having each other’s support and help to get through the craziness of studying, assignments, exams, and campus involvement is something so special. It has been extremely rewarding to watch us learn, grow, and become the people we want to be when we leave Troy University together this spring. We aren’t the same people we were when we stepped onto Troy’s campus in the fall of 2016, but rather better versions of ourselves because we have pushed each other as teammates to be the best we can possibly be, both academically and personally. I say all of this knowing that getting married young and going to college isn’t for everyone. Marriage is hard work. You hear that all the time, and at first, I didn’t understand it, but now I do. You commit yourself to someone else’s forever, and that should never be taken lightly. If you aren’t ready to love someone unconditionally and to be there for your spouse through thick and thin as you both work through life, then it is not for you, or maybe just not yet. Getting married young meant we both still had a lot of growing to do personally. We knew that we weren’t perfect going into our marriage, and we are still learning every day about each other and ourselves. Attending college has broadened our horizons and allowed us to learn about ourselves as well as the subject we chose for our majors. Because we got married before we entered college, we got to see each other grow and mature in so many forms through college, which is so special. I give all glory to God for allowing me to spend forever with my best friend starting from a young age. I truly believe that God placed Shelby in my life, and we strive for our marriage to be a direct reflection of him. Not everyone gets to spend the special journey of college with their spouse. Thankfully, I have, and I couldn’t be happier.
Staff Writer
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