Ever since I was young I wanted a brother. I was still lucky to have a sister, and as I have gotten older, I have become much closer to her, which I have cherished. While I loved growing up with a sister I wanted a brother to play catch, ride bikes, and scrape my knees with. I never had that and dearly longed for it, especially as I got older and began to face new challenges in my life.
Fast forward to my senior year in high school, and it’s time to pick a roommate. Picking a roommate is quite honestly one of the closest things to a shot in the dark you can encounter. There is an immense sense of pressure when deciding to live with someone. Doubts begin to flood in: does the person like the room cold or warm? Does he like to stay up late or go to bed early? Is he clean or messy? Living with someone slowly becomes the scariest challenge college has to offer and you are not even on campus yet.
My experience is much different than what I had expected. I expected to change roommates a couple times into college in order to find the right fit. My assumption was completely wrong. Throughout the past three years I can finally say that I have the brother I always wished I had. The fears of living with someone quickly diminished as I began to grow closer and develop a genuine friendship. As a senior in my second semester, I am beginning to reminisce on my time at Grove City College, and I have begun to realize that my most valuable takeaway from Grove City will not be my degree but the life long friend and brother I know I will have in Jack.
I am blessed beyond belief to have someone that I know I can trust and help me through the darkest times in life and celebrate in life’s most joyful moments. I can confidently say that I would not be where I am in my life without the help and guidance that I have been given. I understand that I got extremely lucky finding someone that I was completely compatible with. And the harsh reality is maybe you will not get as lucky the first try. But to prospective students, if Grove City College is your future home, developing relationships to people here is the most valuable thing you will get from your time in college. While some might disagree, I can confidently say that I have the brother I always wanted and a friend until the day I die.
