community

i had always heard the term "community" used around my church while i was growing up. spending time with others, being in the presence of people you like, dislike, have things in common with or not... but it wasn't until i got to SNU that i fully understood the meaning of the word.

community here is not taken lightly. but it isn't enforced. it's purely up to you how involved you are. i chose to jump right into school events and immediately got to know the vast majority of the entire student body. because of that, i can honestly say that i have never felt so in touch with everyone, so loved. i cannot imagine living anywhere and not knowing everyone. unfortunately, because of this, there are no secrets. that's okay, we don't need them. it's better that way, no one gets hurt. it's a giant extended family. we all care for one another, we are all involved in each others lives. we support one another, we cry with one another. this not only includes students, but staff as well. i have never met a more caring group of professors in all my life. sure, i had teachers in high school that would go the extra mile to get to know a little bit more about me, but it was nothing like this.

being here has opened so many more doors for me. it has given me experiences i will never forget. i'm proud to be part of the Crimson Storm. that's new for me. i was never really a fan of my high school, i thought i could do better than being there. i was wrong and i may have pushed people away that could have been great friends. here, it's my family. i have more SNU shirts than i know what to do with. i paint my face, i go to every game. i AM part of the Storm. and there isn't a single thing in the world that could replace that feeling of belonging.

basically, i love my life. i love where i'm at. there is still plenty of room to grow and improve. as of this very minute, nothing could be better.