A year ago, today, you would not have caught me dead at Mizzou.

Growing up in the St. Louis area where there's a Mizzou flag on every corner and bumper stickers on every car, I thought I was too good to jump on the MSU bandwagon. I refused to attend any tailgates, summer camp or college tour out of fear. I knew there had to be a reason why everyone and their brother came to this place, and I didn’t want to know what it was.

Throughout my senior year, I had the same attitude as every other teenager -- get me the hell out of here. Sick of the drama that filled those halls, I wanted to escape and I was sure that would not happen if I went to Mizzou. My dad finally dragged me on a visit and I fell in love with the campus, but I let the idea of reliving high school all over again consume me. I let the concept of going to a party and seeing the annoying kid in my pre-calc class or my ex-boyfriend steer me away. I had the image in my head that I would walk into my first lecture, and it would be filled with students in KHS apparel.

There are around 7,000 students in the class of 2018. Seeing a familiar face is refreshing. Going through sorority recruitment, I was lined up every day next to 80 girls from all over the country. I didn’t know a single one of their names and they didn’t know my story. I walked into chapter houses and was greeted by another 100 girls who I didn’t know. The lines of girls passed by and nothing was more comforting than seeing an older girl from my dance team or a family friend whom I'd known since I could walk. Why did I think that would be so torturous?   

As fresh meat trying to navigate my way through campus I thought the hallways at school were crowded, but the streets here are filled. I thought the kids who had lockers next to mine would be living next door in my dorm, but my neighbors are from Minnesota and Kansas. I thought everyone would know my secrets, but no one cares.    

At summer orientation they tell you, “Mizzou is what you make of it,” and that couldn’t be more true. Go out at night with your sorority sisters and walk to classes with your dorm mates, but when you get homesick grab lunch with your best friend who lives across campus. Mizzou is whatever you make of it -- just don’t make it high school.