I never thought that I would be a transfer student. My senior year, I applied early decision to a college in Washington D.C., thinking that it would be the perfect school for me. Since kindergarten, I attended the same tiny school located in a community where everyone knows one another. Growing up in this environment shaped the importance of community in academic and social settings. While I hoped I would find a similarly supportive community during my first semester, it never seemed to fall into place. I also came to realize that Washington D.C. was not the city for me. For a while, I thought that the difficult transition would eventually change once I became more comfortable; however, as the year continued, I still felt as though I was not fully myself and that it was not the right fit. After trying many different activities and still feeling lost and confused, I decided that I needed to make a change, regardless of how frightening and difficult it seemed to “start over.”
After I was accepted to Tulane in the spring and had completed my finals, I planned a trip to visit with my parents. I instantly fell in love with the campus and felt optimistic that transferring to Tulane would be the right decision.
As my first semester comes to an end, I realize that I could not have been more right! I can confidently say that transferring to Tulane has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. A year ago, I remember feeling more lost and confused than ever. Now, I feel comfortable being myself and love exploring all that Tulane and New Orleans have to offer. I never thought that I would be able to feel that way again after leaving high school, but I could not be happier to be a part of the Green Wave community. The opportunities and experiences offered here are unlike any other, and I already have more memories from one semester than I ever would have anticipated! Sometimes I think about how close I was to just “toughing it out” and spending my college experience always wishing and hoping for something better. I’m incredibly thankful that I transferred to Tulane and never thought that I would feel this much pride for my college. I have finally found my home away from home and I couldn’t be happier to call it Tulane.
