What made your first quarter at LIFE so memorable?

My first quarter was very unique in that I started […] in the Fall Quarter, which is a larger quarter. There’s so many pros and cons to starting with a large quarter. One, you have a massive community, so that’s awesome. You have resources – you have people from all different backgrounds, and that in itself is very unique. The second is that I am not your typical student. I have not been in college for 10 years; I graduated in 2009 from my undergrad, so I’ve been in the workforce. Transitioning from the workforce back into student life was very unique. And then the third unique thing is that I was later diagnosed with epilepsy. In my undergrad, I didn’t actually have any type of disability. All three things combined made a very unique first quarter experience.

What makes LIFE so unique?

I’ve never been on a campus that had such a culture of positivity. The ratio of complainers to people who love to just look on the bright side – that is the abundance here. You can find that on campus. We have a ‘Speak Tradition’ of when you’re walking on campus that someone’s always, whether you know them by name or not, […] going to say, ‘Hey! How’s your day?’ Or a high five or a hug. There’s always going to be some sort of eye contact and interaction. So that is very unique in that sense.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Be open-minded to not just the box that you’re comfortable with. It does not mean going outside of your beliefs or foundations in my faith necessarily. Whatever my understanding of life was, or what healing was or what profession I’m supposed to enter … that it’s okay to maybe venture outside my comfort zone.

How would you describe your first quarter in three words?

I would say profound, humbling and friendships.

 

 

 

My 1st Quarter is a new campaign featuring students who are currently within or who just finished their 1st quarter of studies at Life University. All University students (undergraduates, graduates and D.C.) are encouraged to share their experiences in order to help those in future incoming classes get a real-life glimpse of what they can expect as they start a new chapter of their education journeys at LIFE.