Living Out My Imagination by Megan

Living Out My Imagination by Megan - August 2020 Scholarship Essay

I have been fantasizing of going off to my dream college since the fourth grade when I decided I wanted to become an art teacher when I grew up. As I grew older, my idea of my dream college changed as I figured out more of who I was. Turns out I did not want to go to a large school, but not small one either. I also no longer wanted to teach art as a career, but mathematics to middle and high schools students instead. I knew that I wanted to find a school that felt like a second home to me, and also have the right people to help me accomplish the goals I had set for myself. I achieved my dream whenever my acceptance letter from the University of North Alabama found itself inside my mailbox.

The University of North Alabama was my number one choice out of the three colleges I was interested in. Whenever I toured the school with my family the summer before my senior year of high school, I fell in love with the campus. I wanted a campus that I would enjoy walking through every day and a campus that would feel as its own little world that you become a part of everyday. There were plenty of places to sit, study, and grab lunch with your friends. There was even an actual lion habitat where the university’s mascots live and represent the school, which was a very unique detail in my search for my dream school. At night the stringed lights would illuminate the bricked sidewalks and lead you to a beautiful fountain that greets each and every one of the university’s visitors. The interior of the buildings were also very nice looking. The library had plenty of places to sit and study comfortably and the dorm rooms were some of the nicest I had seen compared to the other colleges I was looking at. Even the city of Florence in which the university sat in the middle of resembled my small town of Springville, Alabama in a way. This school began to turn into a place I could see myself being in.

I had fallen in love with the campus. However I needed to fall in love with more than just the campus for it to become my dream school. I left the tour I had taken that summer with enough good first impressions to last me a lifetime. One of the most remarkable takeaways I had that day is when the president of the university came out and spoke to us. It wasn’t planned for him to speak, he had just seen our tour group walking around campus and thought he would introduce himself. I appreciated the genuine kindness that he had. The more people I talked to, the more I learned that every one of the staff members spoke with the same kindness that he did that day. Another pro was added to my pro-con list (that never actually had any cons). Everyone was kind and willing to help me with anything. My dream school started becoming a reality.

After dreaming of the perfect college to go to for a long time, and changing what the dream looked like, I finally made the decision to attend the University of North Alabama in the fall. I think the most unique characteristic of all when discussing my dream school now, as a sophomore at this university, is that there is no part of my dream that has changed since I moved into my dorm a year ago. I still love the campus and the people and I belong here at this university. I have made friends that will last me a lifetime and I am learning so much that will help me achieve my goal to become a teacher. I have no regrets for going to this school. Living out a dream that you have imagined for years is definitely one of the most greatest feelings I have the pleasure of experiencing.