How did you know you wanted to come to Grace?
During my college search, my mom said something to me that stood out to me: “A lot of schools kind of seemed like a college where students are Christians, but Grace is a Christian college.” I really like how Grace puts your spiritual walk with God first. That stands out to me, because in a lot of other places I visited, I felt like one of the masses. But at Grace, it’s personal and small.
I get to develop relationships with my professors, and I can ask them questions about anything. They are so invested in me. I picked up on that as soon as I visited after having a meeting with Dr. Loebs and Dr. Sauders. Instead of telling me about the academics and classes, they started telling me about how they were going to help me in my career. They answered my questions like “What can you do with a communications degree?” and “Is journalism a good major?” I wasn’t even a part of the program, and yet, they were investing in me.
It was so fun! I met my best friend that weekend. We were both nervous for the competition, but it ended up being a much easier experience than I was imagining. The dinner was fun, the late-night show was hilarious, and the competition itself went really well. I was really invested in the essay; I felt like the prompt was made for me.
I had already decided to come to Grace before the competition, but receiving the Presidential Scholarship was a big assurance that it was where God wanted me. Being able to get a scholarship that boosted me financially was a big blessing.
How was your first year at Grace?
It was absolutely amazing. At the beginning of the year, I went to almost all of the campus events. Grace does a really good job of integrating the freshmen and transfers into student life quickly. I did a lot of team bonding with my basketball team, I loved my first classes and professors, and I really enjoyed being with the other students working toward a bachelor’s degree in English. I also loved dorm life and still do. It’s so much better than I imagined it to be.
The best thing about my first year at Grace was getting published right away. A lot of colleges focus on general education courses for the first year or two, but at Grace, I had a jumpstart into what I want to do for my career within my first semester. I had articles published for the Winona Lake newsletter, the student newspaper, and a variety of other publications, including Clubhouse Magazine. It’s so exciting to see my work published!