Who would have thought that a small town girl from Lindale, Texas would end up at the largest private Christian school in Alabama? If someone had asked me eight months ago,I would have said “not me.” I had not even heard of Samford until my 16-year-old cousin told me about it after attending a Fall Preview Day. At the time, I was certain that I wanted to attend a university in Texas. However, as soon as I heard about the beautiful campus, strong academics and Godly atmosphere at Samford, I wanted to know more! And from that moment, Samford went from being some school 12 hours away to being my dream school.

For years I have tried to shape my life around Jeremiah 29:11, where God promises that He has awesome plans for my life. I just have to be open to His will. When you live faithfully and prayerfully, God has a way of opening doors, and it was through His help and the assistance of so many awesome people at Samford that my dream was able to come true. From admissions counselors to my academic advisor to financial aid representatives, so many people came together to make it possible for me to attend Samford.

One especially important person was Samford’s Texas representative, Sheri Heasley; she worked with me side-by-side through every step of the process to make Samford a reality. I think that is what makes Samford different from the larger Christian schools: it’s big enough to offer numerous opportunities, but small enough that people care for you as a person, not an application.

I would encourage everyone to make it a point to work with everyone in the Admission office and build relationships with the Samford family. Don’t just stop at submitting an application: come for a visit, talk with current students, get to know your admissions counselor and other area representatives or alumni, and read up on all the amazing opportunities that Samford has to offer you. If you’re like me, these things could play a huge role in your decision to come to Samford.

I submitted my application to Samford in January. It was one of 13 schools that I applied to, and now, here I am- a freshman journalism/mass communications major, far from home, but with an amazing four years to look forward to in my (new) sweet home Alabama! Bow-wow Bulldogs!