I can’t believe that I’m already a Junior and just have two more years left.I was a stressed high school student trying to decide what college to attend. I come from Mount Pleasant which is known for Central Michigan University (CMU). Many high school students in my hometown go on to attend CMU, but growing up in Mount Pleasant and being around a big university my whole life made me realize it was not the right fit for me. I wanted something brand new and I wanted to leave the town that I called home for so long. I wanted a new, fresh start and I knew I couldn’t get that if I stayed in Mount Pleasant. I remember spending my first trimester in high school just looking at other big universities in Michigan and even a few colleges out of state. I experienced some setbacks, but then I stumbled upon Olivet College. I had never heard of it, so I clicked on the website and was interested right away because they had my desired major and an up-and-coming cheer team. I applied that same day and filled out a recruit me form for cheer. A week later I was accepted. I was still unsure if I wanted to attend OC, but then I got a phone call from my admission representative and the head cheer coach. I set up a visit right away because I knew it wouldn’t hurt, and thought, “What if I fall in love with this school?” Sure enough, I came for a tour in the middle of January and fell in love with all the beautiful buildings. I really enjoyed the atmosphere at Olivet and I loved what the college stood for. All the students knew everybody, they were holding the doors for others and people where even saying hi to me! I met with the cheer coach for lunch and was very excited to learn about the program because it was new. Immediately, I had a goal to be on the first Olivet College cheer team to win a national title. The visit was nothing but perfect and I easily saw myself as a Comet. I was even offered a cheer scholarship the same day and I just felt like it was all falling into place. Plus, my mom loved Olivet too!
After my visit, I knew I wanted to come to Olivet and set my sights on earning a degree at Olivet College. They have many great scholarship opportunities. I was offered an academic scholarship, a Talent Scholarship for cheer and a scholarship from my high school. I also earned a few grants from the state and my federal aid helped a lot. This financial aid made college affordable for me, and I am very thankful for these awards. Scholarships are harder to attain at bigger universities, so I am very glad I chose OC.
It was an extremely stressful month deciding if I should attend Olivet and move away from my home, or if I should just stay. A lot of tears were shed and a lot of headaches from overthinking, but at the end of the day, my heart just kept telling me Olivet was my new home. My mom agreed and we sent my deposit to the college in late February, and I signed to the cheer team a few weeks later.
Since then, I’m extremely thankful for the path that led me to the right and prefect college, despite some bumps in the road. If I would’ve attended a bigger school, I probably wouldn’t have the job opportunities I’ve had, joined a sorority or be on the radio as a freshman, and I wouldn’t have had many of the opportunities that I have been blessed with as a student at Olivet College.
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