I was utterly terrified.
Somehow, after months of preparing for college, the huge 695 West-Towson sign on I-95 South somehow managed to allow reality to set in.
I was going away for school, something none of my siblings had done. I knew no one. I had no connections to Towson. I had no idea what it was like to be away from home for more than a week. I had no freaking clue.
Having survived my four years, I've come to realize that that fear, albeit natural, was just as irrational.
At a school that often seems clouded by apathy and cynicism, I can proudly say that I have an immense appreciation for Towson. I say that the fear was irrational because the good that has come out of my college experience outweighs the bad to such a degree that referencing any negative would be utterly useless.
Different people have different ways of squeezing the life out of their college experience. This was mine.
I got involved
It's the most elementary part of the college experience. In college brochures, campus tours, and orientation speeches, involvement is always a primary focus. You almost get sick of hearing about if after a while. Having people that look like your parents, tell you how to have a good time at college? Well intentioned, sure. But not always the most convincing sell.
Nonetheless, I listened. Burdick Hall became my sanctuary. My discussions with Reformed University Fellowship campus pastor Steven Badorf became one my greatest sources of growth as an individual.
I was a part of the campus environment, and the campus' resources became an integral part of my future.
Before I got to school I was fortunate enough to know what I wanted to study, and what field I would enter after college. In one way or another I would be involved in sports journalism. By the spring semester of my freshman year I was The Towerlight's women's lacrosse beat writer, a part-time host of WMJF-TV's Towson Sports Weekly, and had a weekly sports talk show on XTSR. At the time, I sucked at all three. But a foundation was laid. XTSR gave me experience. The Towerlight gave me a voice. WMJF gave me a precise idea of what I want to do for the rest of my life.
Because of WMJF and this newspaper, I was able to land an internship at ESPN in Bristol, Ct. last summer. The combination of the three will likely help me get a job. I don't know what students with other academic focuses have at their disposal, but I imagine the opportunities are there. If you want it, you have to go out and grab it. Now is our last opportunity to delve into virtually any field with little to no consequence. We're better served to take that step now, and be better served in the future as a result of that.
I fell in love
There are few more valuable lessons than those learned when your life is dedicated to another person's.
For 19 years I was the guy who wondered when he'd find his girl. Sappy? More than a bit pathetic? Absolutely. Nonetheless. For nearly two years I shared one of the most valuable experiences of my life with someone whose impact on me will likely be felt for years to come. More than anything it taught me what it means to love. There's no measuring the value of that.
There are few things in life that help you to grow and mature like having to deal with pain.
In some weird way, getting through a breakup taught me how to be a man. You'd be surprised how much you can learn, and how much you can grow, when you're faced with something painful. And when you have no choice but to accept it and move forward.
I prayed everyday.
I didn't go through these four years alone. Those who know me well know that I grew up in a Christian home, and I've grown to make those beliefs my own. More than anything, they've shaped who I am. It's more than going to church, and it's far more than the spiritual jargon that gets tossed around in some Christian circles. It's real. It's being invested in our culture and in the lives of others, and seeing how each reflects, or is reflected in, a relationship with God.
The fact is the life of a college student can be awfully difficult. I've been blessed with a firm foundation that has helped ease the process. I've had to lean on God for comfort, for humility, for guidance, for provision, for sanity, for confidence. For strength and wisdom in the face of my weakness and immaturity.
But, more than anything, for an outstanding four years.
Now the scariest part of college, is having to leave.
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