"Dome Sweet Dome"

I am not going to lie— Syracuse University was not my top choice or my dream school. It was one of many places that I would be happy to go to, but not one of the colleges I was extremely jazzed about. However, when all other plans fell through, I was a little devastated that I would wind end up going to school a mere hour away from where I lived. I had dreams of going to a school far away, where no one from my high school was going. I think, deep down, I knew it would be okay because my list of schools consisted all of places I loved and knew I would be able to thrive at. It was just hard at first.

I am not one to sit around and mope so I started to get myself excited to go to SU. I realized that Maxwell has some of the best social sciences programs around and it is known for that. I thought about how I always felt really comfortable and welcome on the campus unlike any other. I went to the Rochester Send-off where students raved about Syracuse. I met a girl there who was going to live on my floor, and she is now one of my good friends! I even started to think that orange may just be the happiest color.

Today, I cannot imagine myself anywhere else. Some days, I just stop and think, “Wow, I am at Syracuse. I am so lucky!” SU is the experience of a lifetime, with endless energy, a high-achieving student body, and more school spirit than could possibly be imagined. I couldn’t help but dive headfirst into campus life upon arrival— through OrangeSeeds, Hendricks Chapel Choir, my residence hall community council, Alternative Spring Break and more opportunities that arose the past year. I felt like this is the place I belong and that I have grown in more ways than I possibly could have imagined!

To bring it full circle: Today I interviewed first-year students to be a part of the selective OrangeSeeds program. I found out about this program at the previously mentioned Rochester send-off from a former Seed and came to campus set on applying. Exactly a year ago, I was in the opposite position, being interviewed to be a part of OrangeSeeds. I was thinking about how far I have come since then, and how being in this program impacted my whole college experience for the better. I do not know who I would be on this campus without OrangeSeeds. A year ago tonight, I remember seeing the orange with my name on it on my door and thinking that this was not a mistake. Syracuse was the perfect place for me.