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I sent a set of predetermined interview questions to my friend who would be acting as the face of my magazine cover: Sarah Danes. Here are the answers she provided with the character she morphed.

What caused you to want to leave your stardom?

               I was tired. I’d been acting since I was thirteen, and my parents pulled me out of school so I could start filming. It was exhausting. I would film for eight hours during the day, then go home and be in school with a private tutor for another four hours or so. It was so strange, especially because I had finally grown accustomed to the public-school system back home in Florida. I did the homeschool thing for five years until I finally told my parents, “That’s enough. I want to go to college.” So, my tutor helped me find applications for colleges and helped me find scholarships, and soon enough I got admitted to one. I finished the project I was working on, and then I told my agent that I wanted to take a break. She was so supportive, and even helped me pick stuff out for my dorm with my parents.

How did you decide what college was the best fit for you?

               I applied to a bunch of colleges, and even before that I went on tours to a few as well. In California, I toured at Stanford, UCLA, and California Polytechnic University, but the only one that really felt like a good fit was Stanford, but I ended up not getting in. So, I flew back down to my home state, Florida, to look at colleges there, and did the same thing. I toured the Florida Atlantic University Honor’s College, UCF, USF, FSU, and University of Florida, and ended up getting into all of those! When it came down to it, I thought about the tours I had taken and decided on UCF. Ultimately, it felt like home. I could see myself walking through campus, living in the dorms, and taking classes there. They also had a specific track for the profession I wanted to go into after graduation, so that was another big deciding factor.

What did you end up studying and how does this area have value to you?

               Currently, I am studying psychology and taking the clinical track. I want to be able to help people that have been struggling with issues like depression, anxiety, etc. More than likely I would want to be a child psychologist, or work with children to young adults. During my teenage years, I struggled a lot with anxiety and depression and self-harm, and I had no one to turn to with it because of my fame. I was pretty much all alone during it except for my best friend, and if it hadn’t been for her, I don’t think I would be here today. I want to be able to help people that feel like they don’t have anyone. I’ve actually considered opening a practice specifically for stars that are struggling with mental illness, since I can relate to it on a more personal level and provide firsthand insight.

Do you think that you were treated differently because of your history?

               Starting out, people treated me differently. I don’t blame them, though. If I saw someone like Jennifer Aniston walking through campus, I’d turn my head and wonder “What’s she doing here?” I was expecting different treatment, but I for sure didn’t want it. For the most part, I did my best to act like any other student, because that’s what I was. I was going to college to study psychology and to further my education just like everyone else there. I paid tuition, I had a meal plan, I complained about limited parking. I think after a few weeks people adjusted, and now in my sophomore year I have friends that treat me just like any other college kid. People don’t turn their heads as much, and I couldn’t be happier.

Do you feel that the college experience is worth the hassle?

               Oh my God, of course it is. In this day and age, you can hardly make anything of yourself without a college degree. I knew that if I really wanted to pursue a career for myself other than acting, I had to go to college. Despite the applications, the fees, and dealing with everything that college students hate, it is so, so, so worth it. Being on campus and knowing that I earned my way there and I’m truly going to make something of myself is honestly the best feeling I’ve ever had. Its better than walking down the red carpet for an award show.

Do you feel that a college education is necessary for survival in today’s world?

               Absolutely. Obviously, I got lucky and was able to make something of myself in California from a young age, but if I hadn’t gotten that opportunity, I would’ve still had to go to college to truly make a name and career for myself. You can barely get any decent job without some type of associate’s degree or higher.

Do you feel that education has become less valued today?

               Actually, I feel that people nowadays are finally realizing just how important an education is for someone. It certainly helps that most jobs are requiring degrees now, but even influence from media has told people to be educated before they make decisions, whether it be with voting, protesting, or whatever the case may be. Albeit, it is a different type of educated, but the word remains the same. Unfortunately, I feel like while younger people are valuing their education and want to go to school, the attitude isn’t met by people funding education programs or working in schools. College administrators can be incredibly difficult to work with, and there are numerous hoops students must jump through just to make sure their needs are being met. And I’ve heard horror stories about high school administrators from my classmates about how rude they were and how they simply didn’t seem to care about the students. The funding for education programs is also incredibly slim, and its due to this that people either can’t afford a college education, or they just hate going to school. The teachers are not paid enough for what they are doing, and it reflects in their attitude in the classroom, and thus inflicts a feeling of dread upon their students. Overall, I feel that teenagers and young adults are wanting to value their education, but their instructors and guides are limiting just how much they can put into their efforts.

Would you ever consider returning to the world of entertainment?

               I loved acting and starring in the movies I did, and I am so incredibly grateful that I got the opportunities I did, but I don’t see myself returning to that. I’ve realized during my time at school that my true passion is to help people on a personal, one-on-one level, and I can’t achieve that if I get back into the limelight. I definitely won’t be respected as a psychologist if I do, and even now I’m still concerned that the psych community won’t see me as reputable simply because of my past stardom. Nonetheless, I’m going to graduate and try my best to open my own practice, and from there we’ll see where the road takes me.