Reflecting on my time at Marquette, even though I am only a sophomore, I can honestly say the experiences I have shared both inside and outside of the classroom have changed my life for the better. I have surrounded myself in a community of people that challenge me, support me, inform me, listen to me—people who have made me excel. It was not an easy transition, moving 900 miles away from my home in North Salem, New York. Deciding to attend a university hundreds of miles away from my comfort zone was a leap of faith that I am so glad I took. Automatically, I found myself becoming more outgoing, especially considering I knew no one at Marquette. I think developing this unreserved personality has advanced me in the classroom as I am now not afraid of adding to the conversation. Before my time at Marquette, I believed education to be constructive repetition from teacher to student, meaning whatever what was taught in the classroom was the only way of thinking. I slowly discovered this is not the case. At Marquette, so many different students and professors come from so many diverse backgrounds, we all positively contribute to the conversation. I found that professors learn just as much from the students as the students learn from the professors.

Being that Marquette is a Jesuit institution, the opportunity to get involved in service has been prevalent both inside and outside of the classroom. Service has always been a huge part of my life, and the fact that I could attend a university with students and faculty that share the same passion for service allows me to take advantage of amazing opportunities. Getting involved in service, whether it be stocking a food pantry or spending spring break cleaning up after natural disasters, have popped the Marquette bubble. I have experienced humanity in the most humble of ways. The people I have met during these service adventures have made extreme impacts on my life. These opportunities also give me greater appreciation for all the blessings I have been given—making me want to work that much harder for my goals and aspirations.

Being a campus tour guide on Marquette’s campus, I have become more of a confident public speaker. This has also taught me to be comfortable around strangers. Giving tours to prospective students, I meet a wide array of different students every day. Students who have the same interests as me and students that share none. It gives me a chance to be open to other people’s thoughts and opinions—and a chance for me to be excited for these students' differences. While I may be a terrible math student, a prospective Marquette student who has a passion for numbers excites me, they too want to share the amazing Marquette experience. Every day, I tell students of the values and mission that Marquette brings to the Milwaukee community, we are a university that produces men and women for others. Whether it be a business school graduate helping a current student find an internship or students in the nursing program, taking time out of their busy schedules to help deliver medical supplies to poor countries in Central America. The students who graduate from this university continuously and tirelessly put others before themselves.

I am looking forward to Marquette being a place that will support me even after graduation. While I may not agree with everyone's opinion, classes I take at Marquette have made me less closed minded. That's what I look forward to—sharing my love for this university and sharing all that I have learned. Nothing humbles me more than announcing that I attend Marquette University.