I opened an email the other day that informed me that I was chosen by my university’s Center for Student Involvement office to take a survey regarding student activities. The questions ranged from specific questions about student activity offerings and programming to feelings about the school as a whole.

I was expecting to scroll through it quickly, not paying too much attention to the questions. Just wanting my name to be thrown into a drawing for a $50 gift card when I had completed it. But I found something I was not expecting.

There were questions on this survey that made me stop and think. Literally. I stopped in the middle of the quiz and looked up and was in awe. To my school, Truman State University: I’m sorry. I complain about you, I say bad things about how the institution is run, and I say too often how I cannot wait to graduate and just be done. So, I am sorry.

Because as I took this quiz, I was reminded of every little thing that made me fall in love with Truman in the first place. I remembered June 18, 2013. The first day that I visited, as pictured below. I was about to go into my Senior year of high school and I was struggling with the college search process; I couldn’t find a school that I truly loved. But that warm day in June, I experienced an overwhelming feeling of happiness and certainty. I knew that this was it, this was where I wanted to spend four precious, crucially developmental years of my life.

And from then on, I was a bulldog. I had so much pride leading up to Freshman move-in day, wearing my Truman gear proudly and telling classmates, friends, and family of how excited I was to attend this fantastic school. And after my first semester here, I was even more sure that this could quite possibly be the best decision I had ever made. The friends, the student organizations, the opportunities... they were all allowing me to blossom in ways that I didn’t know were even possible. I look back on that first semester so fondly, and I appreciate every single person who shaped me into who I am today.

I could never go as far to say that every other semester and year from that point were bad. They most definitely weren’t. I try now to pinpoint where my mindset changed, and why I let myself view my school and my college experience in a much more negative light. But the sad thing is that I did. I regret this less-than-positive view that came about and why I let it prevail over my usually sunny and optimistic disposition. And this is exactly why this little quiz which could mean nothing, meant the world. It was a wake-up call.

This insignificant email reminded me that Truman is an amazing place to be. I remembered that as I checked “Strongly Agree” to statements such as, “Truman has enabled me to get to know people different from myself.” Truman has done that and more. I learned about my advantages and privileges in my sociology class; but even more so, I learned that there are people who know of none of those things, and have had to weather storms I had never before considered or imagined. I have made friends with some of those people. And I have found that the most important things about a person are their heart and mind. There is no reason to separate yourself from those in a different socioeconomic, racial-ethnic, sexual orientation or religious status from you. Instead, focus on the amazing things that unite and bring you together with everyone.

Because that is what I have done. Or, rather, that is what Truman has enabled me to do. Truman creates paths for students to give them access to the greatest variety of opinions, worldviews, and backgrounds. And you can learn. You can learn in the classroom, and you can sure learn outside of it. You can learn just as much from the professor standing in the front of the room as you can from your peers sitting beside you.

Truman has taught me, tested me, and tried me in more ways than one. This school isn’t easy. And while it’s hard at times (or most times) and sometimes I forget to control my stress, I like the challenge. It gives this experience meaning and fulfillment. And for that reason, I love Truman. With all of my heart.

I still want to graduate and be done. I am a future-oriented person with my eyes always set on the next step. But now it’s for a different reason. I don’t want to be done to just get out of here; I want to graduate so that I can use what Truman has taught me to better the world.