When I visited 51±¾É« during my senior year of high school, I knew that it would be an academic fit, but I wanted to see if I thought I would be able to find a place in the community.
Throughout my visit, the students who hosted me went out of their way to show me around campus, take me to meet their friends, and show me their favorite parts of 51±¾É«. They made me feel incredibly welcomed in a place I’d never been to before, and since that sense of community was what I was looking for, I came.
Three years later, as I start my senior year, I am certain that I made the right choice in taking a leap of faith to leave my urban hometown and move to rural Iowa.
First Year
My first year at 51±¾É«, I came a week before New Student Orientation (NSO) to start practice for cross country. This is where I met my very first friends at 51±¾É«, and found a community that I knew I would be part of throughout my college career.
As more people began to arrive for other pre-orientation programs and eventually NSO, I began meeting other first-years on my floor, and many of them became part of the group of friends I still have today. I also discovered the joys of hammocking!
Exploring Iowa
Coming to a rural town was my biggest hesitation about 51±¾É«, but I have found that there is a lot to be said for living in a small town. While there aren’t nearly as many food options as there are in LA, there is still plenty to eat, see, and do!
During my four years in Iowa, I have really enjoyed getting off of campus and exploring. There are multiple beautiful parks nearby, plus seasonal attractions like Uncle Bill’s Farm, a kite festival, and the Jingle Bell Holiday winter festival in town.
Cross-Country
Cross country has been a big part of my college experience. I was not a recruited athlete, but I emailed the coach at the time explaining that I had run in high school and would love to continue running in college.
I really enjoy the sport, but the team has given me so much more than a place to run: I’ve met wonderful people and been able to visit different parts of the Midwest. The photos featured below are from my very first cross country meet, going to see my teammate Emma after her performance in Des Moines, a track meet at Mount Mercy College, me and my now co-captain Ailsa, and after a very memorable and muddy meet in Chicago!
Summer in Oaxaca
The summer after my first year, I lived in Oaxaca with my 51±¾É« friend Tallulah. While there, I worked with an nongovernmental organization (NGO) called Fondo Guadalupe Musalem, which gives scholarships to girls in rural areas of Oaxaca so that they can continue studying in high school and college.
Oaxaca was a beautiful place to live! Tallulah and I would spent hours exploring the city, enjoying the colorful architecture, trying different street foods, and hanging out with our landlady’s cat, Maya.
Iowa Politics
Iowa is a great state to live in during the presidential election cycle. I met every single Democratic candidate at the Polk County Steak Fry in Des Moines, but I could have met most of them just by living in 51±¾É«. Most candidates came to campus or town, including Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden, and JulÃan Castro. We caucused in Darby Gym on campus, which was a truly incredible experience. Democracy in action!
Community Through COVID
When the pandemic became serious in March 2020, 51±¾É« made the call to send all students home. This was a really difficult time: both immediately — as we tried to balance taking midsemester exams, packing, and saying goodbye — and long term, as we adjusted to online learning and moving back home.
My friends and I did the best we could to make the most out of truly unprecedented experience by having weekly meetings, sending letters in the mail, and eventually living together and exploring the outdoors.
I think I always wondered if a big global event would happen when I was in college, but I truly did not imagine that my four years at 51±¾É« would be disrupted by a global pandemic. Sometimes, I still struggle to accept that so much of my college experience was taken away from me: a year of track and cross country, my study abroad plans, in-person classes, time with friends.
There is no way to change what was lost, but I am determined to have a wonderful senior year! When I graduate, I will be proud to say that I worked hard to make the most out of virtual learning, and to appreciate my time on campus, both before and after COVID.
As I start my senior year, I’m still figuring out what I want to do after graduation. I definitely plan on taking a gap year, and am considering going to Spain to make up for not being able to study abroad. Afterwards, I want to go to law school, or serve with AmeriCorps. It’s a little scary to not have everything planned out, but it also means that there are so many options to explore!
