As my final semester of senior year comes to a close, I have had the chance to reflect with my classmates and friends on the progress we’ve made as students. I have spent three wonderful years at Grove City College with one semester abroad and graduating a semester early, and reminiscing on how I got here has been a constant reminder that the hard work has paid off.
I struggled for a long time to decide where I wanted to attend college, and was not even sure if college was the right path to take. I had planned to study close to home, but realized close did not necessarily have to mean staying within the state. Hearing about Grove City College, a small Christian liberal arts school, was not something initially spark my interest, but I was at the point where the college search was exhausting and my parents were getting antsy for me to make a decision.
As much as I wanted my college visit to be fast and painless, my parents were just eager to hear I wanted to do another college visit. My previous college visits in the Southern Ohio area had been largely unsuccessful due to my lack of finding a major that I was interested in pursuing. It was pretty late in the game when I scheduled my first visit to Grove City’s campus in January of 2013. All I remember about my tour was that I was absolutely freezing, completely underdressed, and utterly blown away at how beautiful the campus was. The way the buildings all look similar and were conveniently close to each other was exactly what I had pictured my ideal college to look like.
I hated to admit how much I loved the campus for some reason, but honestly I was so nervous about having to make a decision that would affect the next four years of my life at age 18 that I was looking for some excuse to dislike Grove City. As we walked through the dorm buildings and got to see a room, the cafeterias, and academic classrooms, I felt myself becoming happier. Our tour guide was very helpful in answering all my questions about what the Communication Major was and how I could somehow combine my interests of theater, English, art, and talking into a degree that would actually help me find a job I liked post-graduate. By the end of the tour, I liked the campus so much that I was surprised at the idea that college might be something that works for me.
After sending in my application and waiting two weeks, I finally heard of my acceptance and felt such relief. One thing that has stayed with me throughout my years in college is the comfort in God’s provision, especially when I cannot see or understand his will. I thought college was not for me, yet here I am graduating – early even – from a school with professors, classes, and friends that have changed my life.
Taking the leap and deciding to attend Grove City College was something I will always be proud of and thankful for. Despite my fears and uncertainties of the future, God has always provided a reason and an answer, and diving deeper into my faith in classes has completely blown my mind through all this.
When it comes to hard choices, there might not necessarily be a perfect answer, but you still have to make a choice. By choosing to come to Grove City College, I have learned so much about taking responsibility for my actions, treating people with love and respect, and the amazing benefits of conversation. Please enjoy the TED talk above about hard choices, and always remember that God will govern your choices.
