When considering my options for college, I always assumed I would stay close to home. Why wouldn’t I? Growing up in Massachusetts granted me with four wonderful seasons, superior sports teams (Go Patriots!), and plenty of glorious lobster rolls in the summer. Yet as I toured different campuses, few schools caught my eye. I desperately wanted the same feeling of assurance that I had found my home that my peers gushed about after their own college tours. Alas, that feeling had yet to find me.
“You should check out Texas Christian University! I think you would like it. The campus is really green.”
This is the advice I was given by a friend in December of my senior year of high school. I had never heard of TCU, but I had to admit, the grass did look pretty green in the pictures I found online. Out of frustration from not knowing where I wanted to attend, I decided to add this university to my list of applications. Little did I know the immense impact that this place, with the really green grass, would have on my life.
Besides the encouraging faculty members, renowned academics, and electric gameday atmosphere, it was my attendance at Experience TCU that sealed my decision to enroll as a student. Experience TCU allowed me to gain insight into what makes TCU so special: the people. At this university, I am surrounded by a student body that is extremely driven, passionate, and outwardly supportive of the TCU community. Moving almost 2,000 miles away from home, without knowing a single familiar face on campus, was a daunting task. I am forever grateful for accepting this challenge, for it has blessed with lifelong friendships that I will always cherish and the opportunity to discover who I am as a person.
TCU has given me the chance to grow as an individual and become a leader in a multitude of settings. Being a student at TCU has taught me that we do not necessarily need a fancy title to be able to stand as a leader because being a leader is not a position, but rather a choice. Whether in a classroom setting, a friend group, or just standing in line for a coffee at Starbucks, we all can choose to be a leader every day. My time at TCU thus far has given me the confidence to choose to be a leader. It is a strength I never knew I had and it makes me proud to know that the shy girl from Massachusetts, who came to this university not knowing anyone, can walk around in her cowgirl boots on Mondays giving tours to prospective students. Texas Christian University is truly an amazing place that becomes your home, no matter where you are from. If you are admitted, I encourage you to accept the opportunity, for I promise it will be worth your while.
Reganne Murphy is a sophomore Business major and Chinese minor. While at TCU she has joined Kappa Kappa Gamma and TCU Ambassadors, which has been her favorite way of meeting fellow Horned Frogs and prospective students!