There is one thing that almost every high school senior agrees on, no matter where they are going to college: getting as far away as financially possibly. I was so ready to get out of Natchitoches Parish. I was accepted to LSU Baton-Rouge, University of Louisiana-Lafayette, and I even received a nomination from David Vitter for the United States Airforce Academy, which is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I had every intention of leaving. However, I was also praying for the Lord to lead me to whatever college I was meant to go to, and that is exactly what he did.
After taking a campus tour on a whim, I fell in love with Northwestern and Natchitoches all over again. It took me a while to really see and partake of all the many opportunities that NSU had to offer, though. I felt like I already knew everything I needed to know. I left my Freshman Connection session all three days. I had no interest in follies, going Greek, or getting to know my fellow students. College felt more like a job than an experience worth having.
Then something changed. Instead of just going to class and home, I began to go to the library and the Student Union. I started getting some of my lunches at the Grill or at Iberville instead of going off campus to Taco Bell or Subway, ultimately getting to know other students and make friends that I would really come to cherish. Slowly, but surely, NSU was no longer just where I went to class, but it became a safe haven and a home.
People always say that you have to leave home to find yourself. That may be true for some people, but I feel as though I learned as much about myself in these past two years as any college student. I learned that you can only grow as much as you allow yourself to. I also learned that you can only grow as much as you see yourself growing. At the end of my freshman year, I sat down and really thought about where I wanted to be in five years. I decided I want to graduate with a 3.5 or higher, I wanted to be involved on campus, and I wanted to go to law school or graduate school. I realized then that I couldn’t do those things until I changed the lens I was looking through. I couldn’t look at NSU the same way I looked at high school. I now see NSU as a place that can help me achieve my goals, and I couldn’t be more excited about the future.
I learned that it’s not about where you are, it’s about who you are with. NSU would not be the same for me without all of the wonderful friends, sisters, and professors that I have found at NSU. I love the football games and tailgating, the homecoming week activities, and Student Activities Board and Student Government Association events. I love how my college encourages me to be involved in our local community by helping out our local charities like the Robeline Food Pantry, the Boys and Girls Club, or Natchitoches Hope For Paws. As a sophomore, I pledged into Phi Mu Fraternity, finding 102 sisters who are always there for me. I can’t explain what it’s like to receive a bid from a Greek association except to say that it is one of the best feelings I’ve ever felt in my life. I didn’t just decide to join Phi Mu, my sisters chose me as well. Having sisters opened up a whole new world of college for me. Knowing that anywhere I went there would be a sister I felt much more comfortable about going to campus events. I found a big sister, who is always there for me when I've had a rough day or if I'm crying while pulling an all-nighter because I forgot I had a six page English paper due the next morning. It has given me a support system I didn't even know existed, and and I'm so glad I took a chance on Greek life!
Another thing I learned is that even in my hometown, I get the blank slate that everyone wants in college. Yes, there are people from my high school who still view me as the exact same person they always knew. For the most part, though, I did get a fresh start. I am so much more outgoing now than I could have ever hoped to be in high school. Comparing who I am today to who I was in high school is like comparing a pomegranate to an apple. Both are pretty nice, but pomegranates are way more complex, and have way more seed than apples.
I learned how to appreciate the things about my community that I’d never noticed before. The Christmas Festival became something that I was excited about again. I loved the fireworks, and the lights that turned my town into a winter wonderland. I was able to sing and perform with the orchestra as a part of the Christmas Gala, which was something I'd always wanted to do since I saw it when I was in kindergarten. I definitely found an appreciation for the performers I'd never had before! I discovered new hangouts and restaurants I’d never tried, like Cane River Bar and Grill. I started to see the beauty in my town again, and appreciate the small town culture that I’d always taken for granted. Like how there are so many NSU alumni who never left, who want to see not only Northwestern flourish, but myself as an individual.
However, the most important thing I learned about myself by staying in Natchitoches is that you don’t have to leave home to grow into who you want to be, and that who you choose to be has nothing to do with where you come from. Taking lessons from your parents, friends, and teachers is important, but ultimately you decide what you believe and what you want your impact on the world to be. I didn’t have to leave home to figure that out. I am so glad I stayed at NSU, and I am so blessed to have such a wonderful college in my backyard.
