Via. Burst Shopify
I am a Junior now. At this point, I know Grove City College was the right choice for me; however, I was not always so sure. As any student knows, we all question what college is the best for us. What do we want to major in? What do we want the student-professor ratio to be? Does the food quality matter? And on top of all that confusion, how do we wade through the promises to make life awesome that countless schools are offering us?
When I was in my senior year of high school, I struggled in my college decision process. I have high standards for myself and big dreams for my future, so I felt a lot of pressure to choose the ‘perfect’ place. I was vulnerable, confused, and bombarded with messaging from all sorts of colleges. Every one of them tried to tell me they would meet my college needs in the ‘best’ way. Promises like these can be overwhelming and even tempting, but I wanted more. I wanted a school that proved itself worthy of my time, and a place that would allow me to grow both academically and spiritually.
Something major that set Grove City College apart was the fact that rather they refused to consider themselves the bearer of all my dreams. In fact, the stance of the people I talked to was glaringly different. The stance here was—and is—only God can fulfill you. Only God can truly get you where you are meant to be. The job of the college is simply to facilitate and provide a platform for the influence of Christ on student’s life.
This was a level of authenticity and integrity that I had not seen among the other promotional messaging of schools I was looking at. It spoke to the heart of a question I feared as a high-schooler: Is my college experience going to be enough for me? Instead of claiming that they would be the ‘have all, be all’ of schools, Grove City College reminded me that only God could be my key to an amazing future.
Looking back, I almost feel surprised that I was able to distinguish this subtle difference in messaging at that point in my life. Amidst all the stress, all the pressure, and all of the uncertainty of being a rising college student, I was often tempted to forget how important the permanent things in life are—God, family, curiosity, being good to people, and so on. Rather than take advantage of my lack of perspective, Grove City College helped bring it back to me and continues to do so. For that, I am forever grateful.
As you continue your search, I hope to leave you with these reminders that Grove City put in my heart. Wherever you end up, remember that a college is not going to fulfill you. A great sorority is not going to fulfill you. An awesome cafeteria is not going to fulfill you. And they are not going to take you places, either.
Only God can do that.
So work hard, do right, and remember to leave the fulfillment you get from your college years up to Him.
Wishing you the very best as you continue your search.
