I remember when my family left, I was terrified that I had made a mistake. I felt so overwhelmed, I knew two people who had come from my high school but other than that everyone else was a stranger. All of the orientation events did not seem up my alley and I wasn't interested in going to any of them. However I am so glad that I did because I ended up meeting one of my best friends and future roommate because of it. Being at Gonzaga has allowed me to move out of my comfort zone and try new things, things I never would have thought about doing in High school. I remember when I went back home over winter break and I found myself telling people that I was going home in two weeks. I had begun to call Gonzaga my home, that really struck me. Gonzaga has become my home and I'm so thankful to go to a University where your friends become your family and this campus becomes your home. And now that the first year is almost over I find myself feeling a little sad to be returning to my hometown. I won't be see all of the faces and places that I have grown to expect everyday. But luckily I know that next year Gonzaga will be here to greet me and I can't wait.
I wrote about this from my own experiences because this is a topic that is personal. Realizing that you have found a new home is definitely a considered opinion. No one else can alter those experiences that triggered your reaction. Those first hand experiences led to my opinion that Gonzaga is my home and that being here has changed my life for the better.
- Maddie Dellinger