About a year ago, I dropped out of college. I was in my senior year studying computer science at The University of Texas at Austin. If I had stayed in school, I would have graduated by now.

I agonized over the decision for months. Everyone I knew told me it was a bad idea. Every single person. Even my therapist, who I started seeing because college depressed me, recommended against it.

I didn’t have a plan. I had a part-time job. The only thing I was sure of was that I was depressed and school was the likely cause. So I braced myself to disappoint a lot of people and went to fill out the paperwork.

It was a beautiful day in late September when I went to the registrar’s office. I was nervous. This was the biggest, hardest decision of my life. Walking out of the office that morning holding the piece of paper that made it official felt wonderful.

Soon afterward, I scheduled a meeting with Famigo to break the news. How they were going to take it was anyone’s guess. I figured I might get fired. Fortunately, they didn’t mind. In fact, they brought me on full time and I’ve been working with them (and loving it!) since.

So here it is, a year later. Most of my family and friends have come to terms with it, although plenty of them still think dropping out was dumb. Ultimately, that doesn’t matter. I am immeasurably happier. I stand by what I said when I dropped out:

This was the hardest decision of my life, and I’m certain that I made it right.