Personal Narrative: My Journey To Samford University

If someone would have told me that a small university in Alabama called Samford University would completely change my life, I would think they were crazy. I was apprehensive on my first tour at Samford. My tour guide was Mary Kate Thomas, and she was so sweet. Her description of life at Samford seemed completely genuine. Half way through, I felt as if God were nudging me and saying, “Corey, this is where I want you to be. This is where you will be happiest and closer to me.” As soon as we got home that day, I began filling out the Samford application and submitted the application a few weeks after. Two days later, I received my letter of acceptance, and my journey began. That August, Connections Weekend set the stage for what I knew would be
four years of growth and success. The Residence Life representatives went above and beyond to make sure that we all felt at home during the first weekend together as a freshman class. Cristian Santiago and Beth Runyan were my connections leaders that weekend, and they were the perfect dynamic duo. I was a terrified and nervous kid from Tupelo, Mississippi, who had no idea what to expect from that first weekend, better yet life at Samford altogether. These two really impacted me because I considered them my friends before my connections leaders. I do not believe that too many groups truly had the opportunity that I had to feel so welcome and appreciated so quickly after arriving. What also set these two apart was how they treated every freshman as their friend before just the "new kids" on campus. This was such a pivotal weekend for me because it would set the foundation for what friends I would take with me on this crazy journey called "college." As soon as that weekend came to an end, I knew for a fact that one year later, I wanted the chance to make new and terrified freshmen like me the year before, feel at home and appreciated. I want to serve as a connections leader as living proof that anyone new on this campus can find refuge in the student body as well as the campus altogether.