Born in the Bay: The Experience of a Local SCU Student
Coming into life as a college student, you learn very quickly that the world has so much to offer you. Often prospective students look to universities for many reasons, whether it be location, academics, or extracurricular offerings. Initially, I thought that going to college meant going into a new world, one outside of California and far from home. I thought that I had to travel to college to really have my own experience. If only it had been so simple.
I chose Santa Clara because of the drive for excellence in all aspects of my life, not just purely for one reason. But I was disappointed with how close the school was to home. I live in San Jose, CA, a whopping 6 miles from campus. My initial fear was that I have lived here my whole life. Where would I find something new? How could I branch out in a place I am so familiar with? I envied my friends who took that big step to move across the country, some even across the ocean just to go to their dream schools. Santa Clara seemingly checked all my boxes, except for the one. However, I came to understand that I had overlooked some of the most important things when it came to where I wanted to spend the next 4 years.
Being on campus and learning about my fellow classmates, I learned that I could be the one to show them my home. I got to bring my friends back home for dinners, introduce them to my dog, and break into my old high school soccer field for late night soccer games. Being at Santa Clara, I got to share all the things I love about home with my friends who knew next to nothing about the immediate world outside of Santa Clara’s campus. My proximity to home came in especially handy when there were family complications. During my first year, my family went through some difficult changes and adjustments. In hindsight, I have no idea what I would have done if I wasn’t here. Not only was I happy being here, but I needed to be here.
When it comes time to make that decision, whether it be to a school 5 miles, 50 miles, or even 500 miles away, always look towards the place that makes you feel most at home. The world is a very big place, but often we look outward to what we don’t see and we ignore the beauty of a place right in front of us.
