My freshman year of college was tough, to say the least. After graduating high school I was so excited to get out of my small town into a whole new world three and a half hours away. I was ready to meet new people and have new experiences. However, when I arrived at my new home away from home, it was not at all what I expected. I struggled to make friends and could not for the life of me find someone to talk to or who I could relate to. I missed home and my family desperately and so badly wanted to return to high school where everything was familiar and simple. I hated the loud, party-obsessed atmosphere of the school I attended and really just wanted to be done with it all.

Halfway through my first semester at school I called my mom crying. I told her that I just couldn't do it anymore and that I wanted to come home. More importantly, I wanted to transfer schools. I decided then to take another tour of a school I considered before my high school graduation, Walsh University.

When I was first looking at schools, I was not at all looking to attend Walsh. It was 15 minutes away from my house and was the same school my dad attended. I did not want that at all. I wanted freedom and independence, and a place where I would see no one from my high school or small town that I had grown so tired of. I merely only applied in case I didn't get accepted at any of the other schools I actually wanted to go to.

Fast forward to three years later and I am now a proud student at Walsh University. It turns out my parents were right when they said I would love it and that I would fit right in.

I made friends right away when I started school at Walsh. I sing in the choir and am involved in the theatre department. I love my major, my classes, and my professors. I cannot imagine what my life would be like if I didn't decided to transfer to Walsh. That is how much I love it. I can walk around campus and say hello to and smile at everyone I see, even if I don't know them personally. But most of them I do. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming, and I am thrilled to be apart of something so amazing.

I love that I am close to home, and that my family is only a 15 minute drive away. I still see familiar faces, but don't have to if I don't want to. But it seems that seeing someone you know isn't too terrible every once and awhile.

I am no longer lonely at school and that is the best part. In fact, I am happier than I have ever been with everything in my life.

I am blessed and grateful that I found a school that I love. I did not at all picture myself where I am today, but I'm glad I am here.

So to the school that I now call home, thank you, from the bottom of my heart.