New Wilmington, PA is a quiet little town in the heart of Amish country that I get to call my home nine months out of the year. The population of New Wilmington doubles while school is in session. The sleepiness of this place is just one of the reasons I fell in love with Westminster College.
When I began my college search, this little patch of land in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere was not where I thought I would end up. In fact, I didn’t even want to look at Westminster. Part of it stemmed from my typical “teenager” phase, however.
I am the 18th member of my family to attend Westminster College. That possibility alone was reason enough for me to not want to come anywhere near this place when I was in high school. But, after some bad visits at other colleges, my mom convinced me to give it a chance.
I set foot on campus for my first tour on a beautiful fall day. The school year had just started, there were students everywhere, my tour guide was amazing, and I got a great feeling from just my short time observing Westminster life.
I came back later for a swimming overnight visit. I loved the “family” feel of the team and how well everyone got along. It was clear they genuinely cared about each other and wanted all of the recruits to be a part of it. After enrolling and moving into college, I discovered that the “family feeling” and genuine care for one another was a campus-wide practice.
In my three years so far on campus, I have learned a lot about myself. Westminster allowed me to become who I truly am. It gave me some of the best friends I could have ever hoped for, people I never would have met without this place. Westminster has allowed me to carry my family’s deep traditions on, and I am proud to say I am number 18.
Westminster College is special to me because while it is a place my family and I love, it was also able to become mine. My Westminster is different from my parents’ and grandparents’ Westminster. It is different from what will hopefully be my children’s Westminster. But that’s what makes this place so amazing. Everyone here loves Westminster for a million different reasons because there is so much to love.
I love how everyone you meet is unique, but because of Westminster, we all are tethered together in a way we probably wouldn’t be otherwise. I love supportive this campus is about student and faculty endeavors. I love how open this place is to new ideas. Westminster doesn’t shy away from a change or a challenge. I love how the bells ring every 15 minutes. Some people tune them out, but I use them as a constant reminder that “I am here and here is good.” –One Tree Hill
So, if you see me around campus, feel free to ask me why I love this place. I’ve got plenty of reasons and would love to share them with you.
