Being in college is not only an exciting time for you but also for your friends and family. I remember being a senior in high school and everyone was constantly talking about their college options, roommates, and rush. Being from the south, most of my friends chose bigger state universities where football is almost a religion and being part of Greek life is like being part of a dynasty. Unlike more than half my class, I decided to go for something smaller, less known, and further away from the hustle and bustle. I decided to attend Sewanee: The University of the South, which is our 13,000 acre domain that only holds about 1,700 students.

You read that right. 1,700 students total. I didn't forget a zero! Though it's small in size, we have some pretty awesome students and faculty. I decided on Sewanee because of it's size, student/teacher ratio, and homeyness. I have found that most people that attend Sewanee have the same feeling that I did when stepping on campus: you just knew you were at home and didn't need to look anywhere else.

But while I may love Sewanee with all my heart and so does my family and friends since I basically force them to, I have found that when I tell people I go to Sewanee I get a couple of different reactions. The first reaction is the "Oh, okay" accompanied by the meek smile and the head nod that confirms for me that they have no idea what I'm talking about. I then go on to tell them a couple of facts, and I usually compare us to Rhodes (ew). Everyone should at least know we exist, and we are not some online school that came up with a fancy name. The second reaction is usually a bit nicer since it includes them knowing someone that went to Sewanee. This group of people typically has a better idea of how awesome and special our school is. The third reaction is my absolutely favorite, because these people either went to Sewanee, have been there, or someone really close to them attended. This group of people gets too excited when I tell them I'm a Sewanee student. It's almost as if we are apart of something special that no one else knows about. Their responses range from "Oh my goodness, Sewanee is an amazing school!" to "Wow, you are so lucky to go there".

Those people are right. I am lucky to go there. I'm actually absolutely blessed. Sewanee is such a special community that it's sometimes hard to put into words. I go to school on a mountaintop in Tennessee with thousands of acres to explore, close relationships with my amazing professors, extremely smart classmates who push me to think more, and a lifelong community. (Alumni weekend at Sewanee is no joke.)

I love Sewanee and everything it encompasses. When people say that Sewanee is their favorite place on Earth, they aren't lying.

YSR.