With college acceptances right around the corner and millions of seniors across the country making decisions of where they want to spend the next four years, it's a pretty busy/stressful/scary time for high school students and their parents. When I went through the college application process, I had a much easier time than most people. I applied to just 5 schools and only ended up touring 1 of them. Once I saw the University of Tennessee, I didn't need to see anywhere else.
In 2015, my parents, one of my best friends, and I went to visit Gatlinburg, Tennessee on vacation, which is about an hour outside of Knoxville. At the time, I had never been on a college tour before and my parents urged me to see the University of Tennessee even though they knew that I really didn't want to go there. I was the type of applicant that was really close-minded during my college search; I cared more about acceptance rates and prestige rather than where I would be happy. Anyways, I eventually agreed to the tour and before I knew it, we were off to UT.
With a 560 acre campus, the unfamiliar Southern heat and humidity, and lots of buzz and enthusiasm from all over campus, it definitely felt like I was a really small person in a huge group of people at first; little did I know that being a student here makes you feel like anything but just a number. Despite that, the campus was so breathtaking; there were trees everywhere yet it still felt like an urban and busy place, the football stadium was unbelievable (102,455 strong and sold out every game), and the school spirit is unmatched. Not only that, but they also had my major (Neuroscience and Pre-Medicine) and they had an esteemed honors program that carries an amazing reputation. What really pulled me in though was what happened after the tour. I was sitting in the main admissions office right after it had ended and was waiting for my parents to get ready to leave when I checked my email. Before the tour, my family and I were reading the scholarship packets and it said that if I met a certain GPA and ACT/SAT requirement, that I would get a huge scholarship that my parents and I really wanted. I didn't know my test scores yet but I knew that I had the GPA, so it was all dependent on the ACT score that I was supposed to receive in the next few days. However, my test results arrived earlier than expected and it turns out that I qualified for the scholarship. When I told my dad about it in the admissions office and he hugged me and started freaking out, the admissions counselors behind the front desk overheard us. Even though they could have just congratulated me on the scholarship or even said nothing at all, they instead stood up and clapped for me as if they had known me forever. I never forgot how proud strangers were that I received the scholarship and it is something that I will carry with me forever when I think about UT and all of the happiness it has brought me. That was the moment when I understood what it truly means to be a Volunteer and why I wanted to become one.
Having been here for a semester now, UT still lives up to the overwhelming happiness and joy that I felt when I first visited. Even though I go to a school of about 30,000 students, I don't feel small here and I don't feel like a number; I feel like a Vol, a friend, a sister, and so much more. I have made the most amazing friends, joined a sorority that I already love, and learned more about myself than I ever could have anywhere else. UT isn't just a place to watch an iconic football team every Saturday in the Fall or go to tailgates or enjoy Southern spirit, but it's home sweet home.
So basically what I'm saying is that you tend to find your home in the most unexpected places, and I am so thankful that UT welcomed me with open arms and gave that to me. It is my safe haven, my place to grow and learn, and where my heart is. So if you haven't considered the University of Tennessee, Knoxville before, I highly suggest that you do. It is a campus 30,000 strong that I love with all of my heart and wouldn't change anything about (except maybe the parking). So definitely take a look at this beautiful place that I call home and if this article doesn't convince you enough, just Google "Rocky Top Pride of the Southland" or "University of Tennessee Football" and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about.
Endless thanks to Rocky Top for really being home, sweet home to me and go Vols. Here's to you, Old Tennessee. I love you, always.
