ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´

In a lot of ways, I grew up at ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ (UC). My parents were alumni, so we would stop by campus on our way to Tennessee. When my mom's voice professor retired, I came with her to a retirement concert, and we stayed at the old hotel (it used to be called Cumberland Inn, but it was recently converted into a dorm space we now call Templeton Hall). It was familiar, and the campus was beautiful. In the back of my mind, I always assumed I would go to UC… until senior year of high school. 

I knew I wanted to go to a school in Kentucky so I could keep my , but as I was visiting many different campuses, it became less clear which place I should call home. 

Mid-year, I narrowed my choices down to three schools, and each had its own benefits and disadvantages. The ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ of Kentucky was a lot bigger than I would have liked, but I had gotten into the honors program, and I got a large discount because my dad works there. A large portion of my high school committed there. Asbury ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ was the smallest school I was looking at, a size I appreciated. Some of the people I respect most in the world go to school there, and two of my best friends ended up committing there. But it was a lot more expensive than either of the other schools that I was looking at. 

At the end of the day, ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ was the best choice. The tuition price is very affordable, it is a small school with great academics, and textbooks are free. There was also the benefit of having no classes on Fridays, so every weekend is a long weekend.

The drawback was that UC was the only school where I wouldn't know anyone going. In August, I moved onto a campus of strangers. It made the first couple of months a harder transition than they probably would have been at either of the other schools, but in the long run, I am thankful for my choice and for this school. 

I have been so blessed by the people I’ve met and the organizations I’ve had the opportunity to be part of. I volunteer with Appalachian Ministries, and I love it, and I’m learning a lot in my work-study position in the Office of Communications and Marketing on campus. I’ve made friends in both groups, plus a few in my dorm and in classes. Small class sizes give me the opportunity to know my professors and classmates. ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ fosters community with events like Spotlight and monthly BINGO. And without a huge debt to pay off in the future, I will have more freedom to travel and make post-graduation life choices more based on my goals than my finances. Not everybody can say that, but knowing that’s what my future has in store is really nice.

Like I mentioned earlier, when all is said and done, I made the right choice with UC. I am thankful for  so far, and I’m looking forward to the next two years here.