The pathway to college for senior Lucy Yoder all started with a book.
Ever since her father read about an incredibly positive experience at High Point University, the school in North Carolina has been at the very top of her list. Although she filled out applications for a few others—including Hope College, Point Loma Nazarene University, and the University of San Diego—the acceptance of her early decision into High Point guaranteed her a spot.
Lucy doesn’t consider herself to be a city girl, but going to school somewhere that’s about an hour from metropolitan areas, such as Charlotte and Raleigh, is one of the most exciting parts for her.
“It’s going to be nice to have that as an option,” Lucy said. “Take New York, for example; I love spending a day there at a time because of the environment. It’ll be good to be by those big cities without having to actually live there.”
Even though Lucy is eager to experience a different lifestyle than what she’s used to, the social aspect of college is what she’s most aware of. For the next four years, she’s going to be spending a major part of her time almost twelve hours away from home. Of course, the curriculum is going to challenge her, but high school AP classes have prepared her for that. The significant change is happening socially, and Lucy is mindful of making new connections in different parts of the country.
Despite the fact that adjustments in her close community of friends have been on her mind, she is confident in the classes she’s taking that will aid her, not only in this transition phase but when she goes into the workforce, as well.
“I love the fact that they have a really high percentage of people that, once you graduate, you’re able to find a job really quickly,” Lucy said. “They prepare you really well, and they’re also a life-skills university: they teach you how to interview, and they have a bunch of fine-dining learning labs on campus—they teach you how to properly eat and everything. If you have an interview over dinner or lunch, you have to know how to properly handle yourself in that situation.”
Being prepared for life after college is a high priority for Lucy. Although High Point has listed her as an “undecided” student regarding her major, one of her first courses helps with the decision-making process. So far, she wishes to continue pursuing her passion for the Spanish language and incorporate it into a writing or business career.
Her five-year experience of high school Spanish has influenced her to further advance her knowledge in the area. Fortunately, High Point has some incredible opportunities for students who are interested in topics that require research on an international scale. Lucy’s previous experiences with putting her bilingual skills into effect with everyday scenarios have influenced her to take some different approaches to college life.
“At High Point, they have a Go Global grant, so they pay for your education when you study abroad,” Lucy said. “You only have to pay for stuff like food and your plane ticket, but the education is free. I’m never opposed to going abroad in any sense. Anything where I can practice my Spanish in a real setting. I love speaking it, and when I went to Spain for spring break, I had real conversations with the locals, which was really fun.”
Deciding to make advancements in a career that takes a more social lens has made her realize how important her interactions can be.
After hearing about her cousin’s mediocre experience with the extremely large class sizes at the University of Michigan, Lucy’s thankful that she chose a smaller college and is looking forward to the almost one-on-one education that comes with smaller attendance.
Even with the challenges of classwork, the endless opportunities for her future, and starting a new social life, the most difficult thing for her is figuring out the simple details of her new life; however, she also has a plan for overcoming that adversity.
“[The hardest part] for me will be the little things, like figuring out how I do my laundry,” Lucy said. “I call my mom whenever I’m home alone, and I recently realized how much I ask her about small stuff. I’ll have to figure out how to do all that stuff alone and be really self-sufficient. I think full immersion and almost making myself uncomfortable is the best way to figure that out.”
