Baylor University.

From the first time I visited Baylor during my sophomore year of high school, I quickly fell in love with the beautiful campus and the incredible people who worked here, and I could tell that the students here were proud to be a part of the Baylor family. From that day on, I couldn't wait to get to college and be a part of this school. From my junior year until the time I came here, my head was filled with day dreams and ideas of what life would be like when I finally got to Baylor.

I had dreams of coming to Baylor and being able to grow in such an incredible place. I day dreamed about the wonderful friendships I'd make and the opportunities for growth I'd have. I thought about how my professors and the people around me would be encourage me, challenge me, and help me grow as a person. I imagined all of the incredible memories and the joy I'd experience when I finally arrived to start my new life here.

The thought of coming to Baylor pushed me to work harder as a student. I spent countless nights stressing out over studying and working hard to bring my grades up. Countless mornings having to wake up early and take the dreadful ACT. I can't tell you how many times I worried about not being accepted. What if I had worked hard all this time all for nothing? I wouldn't be able to experience all of the happiness, growth, friendships, and challenges I had dreamed of. I was terrified of the idea of not coming to Baylor.

Then around Thanksgiving break of senior year, I received a letter from Baylor in the mail. As I was opening it, my heart began to beat quickly and my hands were shaking. My head started filling with thoughts about me receiving a letter letting me know I wasn't accepted. My mind began racing with all of the different possible ways the letter could tell me I was rejected. "After careful consideration of your application, I am sorry to inform you that we are unable to offer you a place in the class of 2020." I knew for sure I didn't make it in, but then something crazy happened. I did. I began to read. "Dear Jonathan, congratulations on earning admission into Baylor University. One of the most exciting times of your life is just ahead." I had made it in. And with those words, the letter left me with the promise of one of the most exciting times of my life.

Flash forward nearly a year: It's finally time. The big Baylor rivalry game against TCU is finally here. Everyone's pumped for the biggest game of the season and you can feel the excitement in the air. The freshman are going crazy as they rush across the field to signal the start of the game. A few plays go by, BAYLOR TOUCHDOWN. The crowd of Baylor fans erupts with excitement and you can tell this is going to be a good game. A few plays later TCU answers right back with their own touchdown, then another, and another. The feeling of excitement initially felt quickly turns into feelings of shock and sadness as our Baylor Bears seems helpless on the field. Meanwhile, the TCU fans on the other end erupt into cheers and insults directed towards Baylor. By the third quarter, TCU is already up by more than 30 points and Baylor fans are quickly clearing out the stands.

The loss was devastating to Baylor fans and a huge blow to the team on top of an already devastating loss to Texas last week. I'm fine with a loss. I'm fine with insults being thrown against the way our team played, sure—that's just college football for you. What I'm not okay with is the stream of social media posts during and after the game aimed against our school's reputation, faculty, students, and athletes. As I scrolled through social media, I encountered post after post mentioning all of the recent controversy revolving around my school and the sexual assault scandal. As I read, I found that many have lost their respect for Baylor and even enjoyed watching Baylor receive a beating from TCU. Many more were calling for Baylor to just end its football season or even give its rightfully earned play off spot to a "more deserving" team. It's as if they feel that Baylor as a whole deserves to be punished for the actions of a few and all that they want is for our school to continue to experiencing bad fortune.

I am in no way defending the actions of the players who committed sexual assault and I definitely am against some of the staff trying to take what had happened and sweep it under the rug. I believe that those few who were involved in any way with trying to defend what had happened should be rightfully punished for their actions, but those were only the actions of a few. Baylor as a whole should not be punished for the horrible events that happened.

"You have been invited to enroll in a Christian university—an institution older than the state of Texas itself—where the person is vitally important. I am confident your Baylor experience will be rich in opportunities to facilitate your intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual growth. Our distinctive missions promise to provide you with unprecedented learning opportunities with superb teacher-scholars in outstanding facilities. Our vibrant campus is an ideal place to develop your leadership skills and to discern your life's direction. As a Baylor student, you will be part of a caring, faith-based community. with the academic resources to equip you thoroughly for worldwide servant leadership."

This was the promise that Baylor gave me when they first accepted me. Do you want to know the truth about Baylor? I'll tell you the truth about Baylor. All that this letter promised me has been true and much more. Every daydream and idea I ever had about the experiences I'd have and the memories I'd make have come true. From the first day I arrived, I have experience constant encouragement, love, joy, and growth.

I never really felt that I had a place in high school. I never felt like I belonged there. I didn't have any idea of who I was as a person. I arrived to college as that same terrified, confused kid. I was quickly thrown into a new environment somewhere hours away from my family where I had to learn to do things on my own. It seemed like I would never learn how to be a college student. My first few days here, I was completely out of my environment, but right away, my community leader made an effort to help me adjust, my professors were patient and gave me time to adjust, countless Baylor staff took time to help me out in adjusting, and right away I found myself surrounded with loving friends.

Over the course of the semester, countless wonderful memories began to be made. Last minute road trips to College station; Monday nights worshipping at Vertical; late nights fountain hopping; restless nights spent studying in Moody; walking to the furthest dining hall just to grab some of Ms. Mei's incredible cookies; countless times I've fallen asleep during chapel; completely forgetting what I'm doing just to go pet a dog; running across the interstate and almost being hit just to grab some fast food; staying up way too late on school nights doing something random; spontaneously going to the Brazos at 2:00 in the morning to fish; experiencing all of the best and worst food in town; countless times professor Thomas has made me laugh; and exploring Waco—these are just a few of the millions of wonderful memories I've made in my few months here.

Over the course of the semester I went from being a terrified, confused kid, to being someone who is slowly figuring out their identity and learning who they are—and I've loved every second of it. I'm proud to say that Baylor was where I found my identity. Baylor is a place where I have found many loving friends, professors who actually care to get to know you personally and are always willing to take time out of their day to help you, people who take the time to actually give you a smile and see how your doing, and an encouraging Christian environment that has helped me grow tremendously.

There have been countless days when I was struggling with something going on in my life or feeling overwhelmed by school or feeling alone, and I don't know if I could have survived my first few months at college without the people that have been put around me during my time at Baylor. Baylor is so much more than the few students and staff that were involved in the rape scandal, and I wish others looking from the outside in would take time to know Baylor for what it really is. It is unfair to condemn an entire institution and all of its faculty and students for the mistakes made by a few.

If others knew the Baylor I knew they would know that it's somewhere truly special and unlike anywhere else.