Three reasons why I love Northwest

Now that I am a junior, it is easy for me to look back on my three years at Northwest Missouri State University and reminisce on the reasons why I fell in love with this school to begin with. One of my on-campus jobs is giving campus tours to prospective students and families, and along each tour I give these three reasons why I chose to make Northwest my home, and have continued to choose it as my home for three consecutive years.

1. I feel that the Northwest professors genuinely care about my overall well-being as well as my success. I know that I am not the only student at Northwest that feels this way, but I have a few select experiences that I remember distinctly feeling a sense of care and compassion from my professors. One time, I was sick during my sophomore year, and I had to miss class due to a fever. The professor for that class emailed me asking me if I was alright, and after informing her that I was sick, she asked right away what my temperature was, if I was drinking enough fluids, and even asked if I wanted her to bring me soup. I was stunned reading her email, feeling confused as to why she wasn't yelling at me for missing class, instead she showed genuine concern for my well-being. This spoke highly of the professors at Northwest and that they didn't see me as just a number or seat in the classroom, but that I was and still am a person above all else.

2. I have made the best of friends here at college. They say that you make your best friends in college, and I know it's cliche, but it's true. Genuine friendship was something very hard to find growing up, and I never truly experienced it until I came to Northwest. I have friends that don't just ask me what I'm up to, but ask me how I'm doing. This question is so important as friends need to be there for one another and genuinely care about each other. Not only have I made friends in my sorority, but I've also made friends throughout Greek Life as a whole, my major, and throughout the other on-campus jobs and organizations I am a part of. These friendships are outstanding and have shown me that true friends can be made at any point in life, even over something as small as sharing a love for macaroni and cheese.

3. It's my home, plain and simple. I knew I picked the right college when I am just as excited to come back to school after break as I am to travel to my parent's house in Kansas City. I have found my home away from home here at Northwest and within the city of Maryville, and I feel peace in my heart knowing that I chose the right school for myself. Even walking through campus or sitting on my porch swing, I am amazed by the joy that I get from being so in love with my school that I never want to leave.

Although I graduate in just one year, I can't help but begin planning all of the other alternate ways that I can stay in Maryville and be a Bearcat at Northwest for as long as possible. It would be great if I could stay at Northwest forever, but I know that no matter where I go I will always be a Bearcat.