Before visiting TCU, I never thought this university would become my dream school, much less the place that I ended up. Going into my junior year of high school the college application process seemed daunting. A procrastinator at heart, I put off everything related to college until my mom forced me on a college road trip through Texas. Although I had told my mom a road trip would not help me decide what schools I wanted to attend, I quickly realized how wrong I was when we made one of our first stops to visit TCU. As we were eating at Dutch’s Hamburgers right off campus, I admitted I could see myself as a Horned Frog.
I assumed my love for the school would die off as we visited more schools, but again I was wrong. I compared every school we visited to my TCU visit. It felt as though TCU had all of the puzzle pieces I was looking for in a school, including: supportive faculty, extracurricular opportunities, learning environment where I could grow, a fantastic student body size, and a strong school spirit! All of these aspects were important in my college decision but possibly the most influential part of what TCU had to offer was the opportunity to have more. More knowledge. More leadership. More opportunities to serve my community. More connections and deeper friendships.
More knowledge. My classes and professors have continually challenged me to grow and think outside of the box. In my core classes I learn about a variety of subjects including history, science, English, women and gender studies, and geography. Even in nontraditional settings such as class trips to restaurants I am gaining knowledge and growing as a person. My education classes have immersed me in elementary school classrooms throughout Fort Worth ISD and have taught me to become a lifelong learner, always focused on learning more.
More leadership. TCU has given me the opportunity to hold leadership positions throughout campus. From being a member of TCU Ambassadors, to holding a leadership position in my religious organization and sorority, to serving on the house of representatives in Student Government Association, I have found the leadership opportunities here to be invaluable. Because of these, I am able to serve others more frequently and give back to make a difference in my community.
More connections and friendships. Coming to TCU has allowed me to become friends with all different types of people. Before college, I never would have thought I would be able to connect with people on such a deep level. I have been able to establish friendships and learn more about myself and others by expanding my viewpoints and discussing important topics. My friends and I have fun, but I also know that I have a community that supports me and is there for me.
Coming into college I started with a blank slate. I was no longer surrounded by my comfortable, familiar environment from home. For possibly the first time in my life, I was able to consciously choose who I wanted to become. For me, I wanted to become someone who pursued these more’s. All of these attributes have enhanced my time at TCU. After my first year as a Horned Frog, I still want more. More time with my friends, more football games and school traditions but most importantly, more time at the place I love, TCU.
Katherine Muck is a sophomore Early Childhood Education major from Dallas, Texas. She is a member of the John V. Roach Honors College, Alpha Delta Pi sorority, Student Government Association (SGA), TCU Ambassadors, and TCU Catholic! In her free time, you can find Katherine at a TCU sporting event (especially football
and basketball) or trying a new restaurant around Fort Worth!