I feel fairly confident in saying nearly every young Ohioan dreams of being an Ohio State Buckeye someday. The appeal of living in the state capital, receiving top notch academics, attending Buckeye football games, participating in the famous Mirror Lake jump and countless other things make it clear why so many decide to go there.
And if you live in the great state of Ohio and don't know a student or alum who will tell you how great their alma mater is, it's likely you still know a die-hard Buckeye fan. In every corner of our great state you can surely find someone sporting the scarlet and gray, if you aren't already wearing some yourself.
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I was no exception to this trend. I grew up in a family of Buckeye lovers. I have early memories of watching basketball and football games sandwiched between my dad and brother on our couch. I could usually count on receiving OSU apparel nearly every Christmas.
So naturally, the summer before my senior year of high school, I visited the great Ohio State. Of course, I was immediately convinced I would go there and be the first in my family to actually be a Buckeye. The excitement was already almost too much to handle and it only heightened when I finally received my acceptance letter in December.
But my parents still encouraged me to visit other schools in Ohio before making my decision. After touring several more schools, I received an acceptance letter from the esteemed E.W. Scripps Journalism School at Ohio University. This honor was enough to prompt me to visit to the Harvard on the Hocking, and it was on that rainy day in March that my dream changed.
Before visiting Athens, I was sure I wanted to live in the city. I was tired of my slow small town life I had always been living and I wanted a change of pace. I wanted to go to a big school with lots of new people to meet. I wanted all the options a large school could offer me.
What I didn't realize is that I didn't need Ohio State and the city of Columbus to give me all of those things.
In Athens, I found the freedom I wanted to meet new people and explore a new place, but with the same friendly, comfortable, small-town feel I had always known. I had all the wonderful opportunities I could ask for to get involved at OU. And through all this, I got more than classmates and friends. I got a family.
After my visit to OU, I didn't want the glamour and excitement of the biggest school in the state anymore. And thank goodness I realized that.
I have found the best home and family I could have ever wanted in little Athens, Ohio. I have new adventures every day, and everywhere I look I see friendly faces. I live in a community that makes learning so incredibly easy and enjoyable, both in the classroom and outside of it.
So while I still like watching Buckeye football with my family, Ohio State doesn't have my heart anymore. It belongs to the Bobcats at Ohio University.
