After graduating high school, many people choose to start over. Staying local, finding new roommates, making new friends, and choosing a new path in life is the baseline for most incoming college freshmen. However, seniors Marli McCann, Brooke Starr, and Kennedy Caddell have chosen to stay together and make the long move away from Lee’s Summit.
After graduation, the three girls plan to pack up their things and move into an apartment together in Tempe, Arizona. McCann and Caddell will be joining the 15,000 other students of Arizona State’s class of 2027, while Starr will be using her A+ hours to attend Metropolitan Community College online.
McCann, Caddell, and Starr’s friendship dates all back to elementary school. Since then, their bond has only grown stronger overtime. Caddell said, “Out of everyone I could move across the country with, I’m glad it’s them.”
The decision to move across the country was tough and took a lot of thought from the three girls. However, the three felt a draw towards the warmer weather that Arizona promised. McCann said, “I love traveling and always have. I love warm weather and being outside, and Missouri has never felt like the right fit for me, so I want a fresh new atmosphere.”
“I’ve lived in the same area my whole life and I’m so ready to explore a different area and be able to grow as a person and learn more about myself. I am also a firm believer in how weather can affect your mental health. I am so much happier when I am able to go outside and the weather is nice,” Starr said.
McCann, Starr, and Caddell have spent a majority of their lives attached at the hip. Taking family vacations or spending the night at each other’s houses frequently are the norm for their friendship. McCann said, “As much as we have so much in common, we are also super different which is why we work so well together and help push one another. We tell one another literally everything and go everywhere together.”
With the cross country move, the three girls hope to follow new paths in life and get a chance at achieving their dreams, all while staying together. The fresh new start that Tempe, Arizona provides is one that makes the girls excited and eager for their future.
