Finding the perfect college has really changed my life, even though it took a while to discover. I definitely took an unconventional route, but transferring from a large state university to the small liberal arts college in my hometown has quickly become one of the best decisions I've ever made.

In the past year and a half, I've learned a lot. I've learned who my real friends are, how to juggle homework and extracurricular's, and what fast food chains are open past 2 a.m. But most importantly, I've learned a lot about myself. I discovered my greatest strengths and how to use them to my advantage, as well as my weaknesses and how to improve upon them. I now know what I like, what I dislike, and everything in between. I've learned how to love and laugh, two things I had nearly forgotten how to do. Honestly, I have gotten to know myself on the deepest level possible, all because of my decision to transfer.

So I want to thank you, Lander University. You may not have been my first choice, or my second, my third, fourth, or even fifth. I actually recall saying that I would rather work at a McDonald's than go to the tiny college just across town. I was so closed-minded and thought this school would be the worst possible option for me.

Once I got enrolled into classes, my entire viewpoint changed. I knew this was the place for me. I could tell that the faculty and staff truly cared about me, and would stop at nothing until my needs were met. With the individual attention I was given, my grades skyrocketed. And when I made friends in my major with ease, my self-esteem soared. Thank you, Lander, for proving me wrong.

In my entire life, I've never really felt like I belonged anywhere. I had friends in every clique and found myself in a slew of different extracurricular activities, but I never felt like I had a specific niche. Luckily, I found my place and so much more at Lander. Here, I discovered my home. And in the Mass Communications and Media Studies program, I found my passion.

Being a part of the Mass Communications program has been one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life. My education at Lander is so different than I could have ever imagined: it's actually fun. I never knew that I could be so fascinated by media and production and have a blast working with it.

They always say that when you find your passion, you'll know it; boy, do I know it. Every single day that I spend working on a project in our department, I fall in love with my major more and more. I fall in love with the equipment, the people, and the feeling of pure inspiration that flows through the halls of our department.

Thank you, Lander, for showing me what true passion is. Thank you for sparking motivation in me on days when I didn't feel like I could get out of bed. Most importantly, thank you for never giving up on me.

I know now that, because of you, I will do great things.