I never thought I’d attend a women’s college. My father is a Notre Dame alumni and my mother is a Purdue grad. Attending an all-girls school never really seemed like an option I’d let myself have. I went to co-ed public and private schools my whole life and I wanted to go to a big co-ed school and get the whole “college-experience,” whether that be at Notre Dame, Purdue, or some school much closer to home.

But then, senior year rolled around and I had to apply to colleges. I applied to a total of four schools, was accepted into three of them, and rejected by the last one – Notre Dame. By the time I had been rejected by Notre Dame, I had almost completely decided on attending Saint Mary’s, but that rejection letter hit me hard. I felt that I had let down my parents and the family legacy I had tied to the University. I still had options (like Saint Mary’s), yet I couldn’t help but feel like I failed and that my undergraduate years would reflect that.

I first visited Saint Mary’s the summer before my senior year began and I absolutely hated it. I hated how small the campus was, the fact that it was a women’s college, the fact that it was where my mother desperately wanted me to go, and the fact that it wasn’t my first choice school.

My rejection from Notre Dame made me reconsider all my college options. I immediately decided against one of them, a public university back home in Kansas because I received a minuscule scholarship ($4,000 over four years) and knew I wanted to venture away from home. My final two options were Saint Mary’s and the University of Denver, a school I had grown to love for the academic programs they offered and their 2015 NCAA championship-winning lacrosse team my family adored. Saint Mary’s boasted great academics and plenty of professional opportunities to help me get ahead in my academic field. DU ended up offering me more scholarship money than Saint Mary’s did and I almost picked Denver because of that.

However, I ultimately decided on Saint Mary’s College and sent in my deposit. I had family nearby, the school had great academics and professional opportunities, and I realized during my second visit that the college would be the perfect fit for me and what I hoped to accomplish with my education.

Now as a student at Saint Mary’s, I can proudly say that I’m happy where I am. I have encountered my fair share of girl drama – much more than I’m used to handling – and grown as a person during these first few months of living on my own and away from my family.

I made friends that I know I’ll keep for a lifetime. People told me not to expect to become best friends with my roommate, but she has quickly become one of the best friends I’ve ever made. She’s helped me expand my comfort zone and blossom into a more outgoing person than I was before I met her. The girls in the room next door are always there for me, and I couldn’t be more thankful for them. Leaving for each break I’ve had this year has been incredibly hard because I’ve had to leave some of my best friends and not get to see them until the end of break, as opposed to seeing them multiple times a day.

I’ve already seen the advantages of going to college here. Many of my professors do not believe the same things I do, mostly in a political sense, but I have learned so much from them and I continue to learn. I’ve taken classes in subjects that I have a history of hating and have found myself looking forward to learning just because I love my professors so much.

The location of Saint Mary’s allows students to easily visit Notre Dame and the two schools collaborate in many ways to let Saint Mary’s girls join the Notre Dame campus community. I’ll be the first to gladly admit that I take advantage of this. I have many friends at Notre Dame who I’ve known for either a few years or a few months and they all make me feel welcome on their campus, regardless of where I go to school. Sure, their school was my first choice, but my school has become the best choice I’ve ever made.

I am a Saint Mary’s student and I am proud to say that. I will always love the University of Notre Dame and it will always hold a special place in my heart with all the memories I have there of good times with friends and family. At first, I felt that I was settling with my decision to attend my second choice school, but now I couldn’t image my life any other way for all the amazing friends I’ve made and good times I’ve had as a Smick.