As most people know I have dreamt about going to AU since I was 12 years old. After visiting the campus for a week long music camp I dreamed about attending this beautiful school within the next 10 years. Though my only time visiting this campus was this one week until November of my senior year of high school I was dead set on attending Anderson University without any concern for another school as a choice for my post-secondary studies.
Anderson University is not the cheapest place to attend and knowing this I worked hard throughout school as an honors student and kept my grades as well as my extra curricular activities high and prominent to make sure I had what it took to be accepted into this school. Throughout school I have taken out just a few loans and the rest of my education has been covered by grants and scholarships from local legislators and just through my high school academics and extra curricular activities. Even though I have taken out some loans I will be graduating with around 1 years worth of tuition in debt, which for most people is very little compared to the amounts of student debt that arise every year from overly-priced institutions.
With that being said, Anderson University has changed while I have been a student and has certainly changed me as a person as well. Enrolling into AU and graduating at 17 I moved into my new home in Denmark on my 18th birthday in August of 2012. I was so eager to learn and knew that I was dead set on my major being Special Education my roommates being my best friends for the next 4 years and my life to be just as picture perfect as I had dreamed it would be over the previous 6 years. What I didn't know was that God had a bigger and better plan for my life that would drastically change my plans into what He had planned.
After first semester I moved into another dorm with a really good friend at the time and everything was great. I got diagnosed with Mono and at that point in time was serving on the Freshman class senate as well as a member of the SC Student Legislature.
Heading into sophomore year I was Sophomore class president, I had just spent the best summer of my life at CBG and was continuing work for the admissions office on campus while student teaching and passing my classes. Life seemed great. Then at the end of the year I was struggling and instead of trying to talk to my professors about it I decided to listen to peer pressure instead and got in a lot of trouble. This one decision completely changed my life and honestly showed me the reality of the real world.
By the time junior year rolled around I was in a new major, a new job off campus and was completely separated from most of my previous activities on campus. My friends still were the same and my life continued to eb and flow just like it had before just under certain circumstances.
Now here I am senior year. I began the year in North Rouse living with one of my greatest friends and working at Red Lobster again. Come September I'm moving back across campus after accepting a position as a Resident Advisor, something I never thought I'd do, and working on my senior paper. I was also voted as Senior Class President and continued to manage 15 other credit hours on top of my already hectic schedule. This semester I'm only taking 12 hours but between mentoring my amazing 33 residents, working on the senior class giving campaign, going to all of my meetings and living life I have quit Red Lobster and life seems to be back where I wanted it to be.
The best part about this all is that God's detour in my life put me right where I wanted to be the entire time.
This semester I have had the opportunity to watch our Chapel services online because of the hours I hold at my internship at the Belton Museum (another thing to add to my list of responsibilities.) Tonight as I watched over last weeks chapel we were reading through James 1:2-8 which goes like this, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do."
Reading over this passage makes me realize that even though my journey is ending here at Anderson University I am always able to find joy in my journey. God put AU on my heart at a mere 12 years old and I made it my goal to attend my dream school. Anderson University is a place where I have not only grown but prospered as a human and as a child of God. Though there are so many things that have changed over the years, my love for AU has only grown stronger.
Today I found joy in my journey. And my journey with AU still has 68 days left in it. Thanks AU, for being my joy.
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