Being welcomed back to high school

Tomorrow is the Alumni Panel at the high school. I was chosen amongst approximately 320 kids that I graduated with to come back and speak about college.
I questioned why I was chosen. I wasn't "invisible" in high school, but I also wasn't on the top of the cheer team's pyramid. When my name was spoken, I was 99% of the time associated with photography. So I guess it was a shock to some to find out that I didn't pursue that in college. From what I know, I'm the only one on the panel that went to a community college.
Look at me, though. I had such right goals for myself and was on the right path. Of course I was expected to "go far in life". Instead, I made my way through school & only applied to two schools & one being Nassau. Then during my firs week of Nassau I realized that I needed to leave. So I applied to Marymount in Manhattan and got accepted. Now I feel like I'm back on track. I basically started the college search a year late & am now behind on a semester of school that I'll haw to make up in summer or winter courses.
They basically called me back because I'm a lesson for fellow students and can show my story as motivation for other students to take the college decision making seriously.
It was the subtle way of saying I fucked up in high school.

-ashleycoppolino