Leavey Ambassadors Program Blogs

As I am quickly approaching my halfway mark as a college student, I often find myself reflecting on my decision to attend Santa Clara. Two years ago, I remember being one of the last to commit to a college. Did I want a big school with lots of spirit? Did I want to stay in my hometown; Colorado? Could I survive the cold weather of the midwest? All these questions consumed my mind for months, but Santa Clara kept checking off every box. On a whim, I committed to Santa Clara and suddenly felt a wave of relaxation and excitement. A medium sized school, a friendly student body, a beautiful campus, a small teacher to student ratio, and an ideal location in Silicon Valley were the initial reasons why I committed to this school. However, at the time, I did not know how much more Santa Clara had to offer. 

My first month of college was the most exciting time of my life. I was blessed to meet some of the most amazing people who have forever changed not only my college experience, but my life. The more students I met, the more I began to realize that Santa Clara was the most ideal fit. I did not talk to a single other friend from high school who felt so welcomed, excited, and loved after their first quarter at college. I was so excited to come back after christmas break and continue my amazing experience as a freshman. 

Just as I was settling into a strong friend group, COVID forced me to finish off my freshman and sophomore year at home or off campus. If someone would have told me, two years ago, that I would have only spent 2/6 of my first quarters attending in person class, I would have dropped to the floor laughing. I expected my first two years to be full of intense studying in the library, socializing every night in the dorms, adapting to communal bathrooms, and spending endless hours in the Benson cafeteria. Although this was not the most ideal situation, I find myself feeling very lucky that I met such amazing people in such a short amount of time. 

After just 6 months of knowing one another, I was able to further strengthen my relationships with my hallmates and classmates who quickly turned into my best friends. To someone who does not attend Santa Clara, this may seem as an impossible task, but for me, my first two quarters provided me with a strong enough foundation to build my relationships. 

I can forever thank Santa Clara for making me the happiest college student I could have imagined!