Once upon a time…all of 2 years ago, I was a senior in high school trying to decide which college I wanted to attend. I was seriously considering going to college for my sport, rowing, and I wanted to participate on a Division 1 level in hopes of getting a scholarship.

To be honest, Saint Mary’s was not my first choice in the beginning of my college search. Actually, it was at the bottom of my list. The Bay Area was not my dream destination. I was considering schools in New York, Washington, and in my hometown, San Diego. Halfway through the fall as a senior in high school, the college search finally became real for me and I realized I was about 5% ready to go to college. I started going on official visits to colleges and making lists for which schools were my favorite, but I had no idea where to start. I mean, I was 17 years old and had to make a plan for where I would be starting my new life without parental guidance. Growing up I couldn’t even go out of the house without telling my parents where I was going and in just a few short months I would be going to live on my own with a bunch of random kids who may or may not make great decisions. But I would never really know until my official visit.

On my official visit to Saint Mary’s in November 2013, I didn’t know it at that time, but I was at my dream school. The leaves were just about starting to fall and people were playing frisbee on Chapel Lawn. I visited a seminar class, took a tour of the campus and ate food at Oliver Hall, which at the time seemed like a delight to me. And I wasn't experiencing this alone. I toured with a bunch of other potential rowers for Saint Mary’s who were figuring out their future plans just like me. The sad part is that I was being treated like royalty and still was not sure if Saint Mary’s was right for me as I walked with the team along the Golden Gate Bridge.

It wasn’t until after I visited other schools that Saint Mary’s started calling out for me. Just before I left my visit, my coach asked me if I would still enjoy Saint Mary’s if I was not able to row for some reason (like a broken back). I responded “of course” in hopes of being able to be offered a scholarship.

The truth is, I really didn’t know. I was focused on going to a school for rowing, but I had a lot of other factors I had to debate. Would the class sizes be too small? How expensive would Saint Mary’s be for me? Would I study business or kinesiology? Would my teachers really call me if I missed a class? What I should have been worrying about instead was, why was I not in love with the school and when would I plan on visiting home?

At the time I said “of course,” I still had other schools on my mind. But the more and more I toured other colleges, the more and more I realized that Saint Mary’s was the right college for me. If I would not have gone on my official visit, I most likely would not be going here today.

So I propose for you to go out and welcome prospective students to your beautiful campus and show them why you love your school. Tell them about the opportunities they will have. Tell them about the little things that make your campus unique.

But more importantly, tell them the truthful story of why you are where you are. Even if it is for financial reasons, or to stay close to home, or even if it is the only school you were accepted to, you may have those reasons in common. Be proud, and show the prospective students why you love your school!