Finding a Home
Katie Watt
When I was a Junior in high school, I had my college career mapped out before most kids even thought about college visits. I didn't have to worry about college applications because there was only one college I would be applying to, and I knew I would get in. All I had to do was wait for the day that I got to move into my dorm with my future best friends, and embark on the best four years of our lives together.
I was on a soccer scholarship at a Division 1 school, something I had worked my whole life for and was beyond excited to develop as a player and enjoy college life. Everything was exactly that until I received news of a death in my family. Things began to spiral downwards after that. My teammates who were supposed to be there for me weren't, my coach was less than understanding, and for the first time in my life I was surrounded by people but never felt more alone. I ended up not returning to the school after winter break and decided to look for a new school to start over.
This last year has been more than just something I can describe in words. My freshman and sophomore years don't even matter anymore because the one year that I have had as a part of AOII has reshaped my entire college experience. The women of AOII are some of those most genuine and caring people I have ever had the pleasure of being friends with. I know that they would do anything for me and in turn I would do anything for them. AOII has given me the chance to meet remarkable women, get more involved on campus, and has helped me rediscover myself. I love to tell people about my college experience because it seemed that things just wouldn't go right for me, but it just took that one bid. It saddens me that I only have a year left at DePaul, but AOII is something I will never graduate from because it’s not just for four years (or in my case two) it’s for life.
I went on a visit to DePaul and fell in love with the school and the city around it. I made my decision to come here starting in the fall of 2012 and was looking forward to starting over. My friends from home who were in sororities asked if I was going to rush once I got there. My impression of sororities was of what I had seen at my last school...and well let’s just say that the athletes and the sorority girls didn't mix. In the end I decided that it couldn’t hurt and rushed that fall. With the grades that I transferred to DePaul with, I barely met the sororities’ GPA expectations. I ended up not getting a bid from anyone and still felt as though I had not found a home in my college experience yet.
Fast forward to fall 2013. My first year at DePaul was fine. I worked hard and got great grades and made a few friends here and there but really didn't feel connected to the school as I had when I was a student athlete. I decided to rush again without telling anyone in case it didn't work out. When I first was going through it I kept thinking about how over the whole thing I was and I was surrounded by freshman and I was way too old for this. That was until two girls I met in the AOII room. Jamie and I bonded over our families and their health issues and Sarah and I bonded over our obsession with sports. When I saw Jamie holding a panda with my name on it on bid day and I ran into her arms, I finally felt at home.
I was on a soccer scholarship at a Division 1 school, something I had worked my whole life for and was beyond excited to develop as a player and enjoy college life. Everything was exactly that until I received news of a death in my family. Things began to spiral downwards after that. My teammates who were supposed to be there for me weren't, my coach was less than understanding, and for the first time in my life I was surrounded by people but never felt more alone. I ended up not returning to the school after winter break and decided to look for a new school to start over.
This last year has been more than just something I can describe in words. My freshman and sophomore years don't even matter anymore because the one year that I have had as a part of AOII has reshaped my entire college experience. The women of AOII are some of those most genuine and caring people I have ever had the pleasure of being friends with. I know that they would do anything for me and in turn I would do anything for them. AOII has given me the chance to meet remarkable women, get more involved on campus, and has helped me rediscover myself. I love to tell people about my college experience because it seemed that things just wouldn't go right for me, but it just took that one bid. It saddens me that I only have a year left at DePaul, but AOII is something I will never graduate from because it’s not just for four years (or in my case two) it’s for life.
I went on a visit to DePaul and fell in love with the school and the city around it. I made my decision to come here starting in the fall of 2012 and was looking forward to starting over. My friends from home who were in sororities asked if I was going to rush once I got there. My impression of sororities was of what I had seen at my last school...and well let’s just say that the athletes and the sorority girls didn't mix. In the end I decided that it couldn’t hurt and rushed that fall. With the grades that I transferred to DePaul with, I barely met the sororities’ GPA expectations. I ended up not getting a bid from anyone and still felt as though I had not found a home in my college experience yet.
Fast forward to fall 2013. My first year at DePaul was fine. I worked hard and got great grades and made a few friends here and there but really didn't feel connected to the school as I had when I was a student athlete. I decided to rush again without telling anyone in case it didn't work out. When I first was going through it I kept thinking about how over the whole thing I was and I was surrounded by freshman and I was way too old for this. That was until two girls I met in the AOII room. Jamie and I bonded over our families and their health issues and Sarah and I bonded over our obsession with sports. When I saw Jamie holding a panda with my name on it on bid day and I ran into her arms, I finally felt at home.
No comments:
Post a Comment