My name is Colin Lyle. I am 19 years old and live in Virginia Beach. I have two dogs names Bear and Oreo and a sister named Haley. During my childhood, my father was in the military, so I have lived in three states: Tennessee, California, and Virginia. At first, my mother wanted my mother wanted me and my sister to grow with my family, so we stayed in Tennessee with my family while my dad was away in South Carolina. When he got stationed in California, my parents quickly realized my dad flying from California to Tennessee every weekend was too much so we all moved down there. At first, it was a hard adjustment because I had to from my cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents being right next door to them being on the other side of the country. Visits were hard because it made me miss them even more than I did before. After two years we moved to Virginia, which is a lot closer to my family than California. I got adjusted pretty fast compared to California.

I graduated from Salem High School with honors in the summer of 2023. My high school experience was very different from most considering my freshmen and sophomore year were virtual due to covid. I was never one to have many friends during High School and I was completely okay with that because I was already in the mindset that everyone was going to stop talking to me after high school. I never had to put in an effort to get good grades in high school. I was acknowledged as an ALOT scholar as I was one of the few black males who consistently received honor roll and had over a 3.0 gpa.

My first job was as Lifeguard at a waterpark called Ocean Breeze. Before I started working there, I was very shy and did not know how to socialize or make friends. I have been working there for three consecutive summers. Each summer was one to remember and one where I gained more friends than the last. I think this job is the soul reason I am able to make friends in college today because after covid, I was so used to being by myself I forgot how to communicate with others. I did a lot of things I never thought I would because the people there uplifted me and made me feel like I could do more. Even when I eventually stop working there, that place will always hold a special place in my heart.