The Right Choice

by Hannah, Freshman Scholar and Guest Blogger

Anxiety runs rampant in my family, and I thought that I was the one who could avoid it.  Turns out that I can't escape it either. My first day of the Freshman Scholars Program went great. I was roaring and ready to go - ready to meet new people. I was feeling pretty good about everything.  I didn't sleep much that night, so I was really tired the next day. My first roommate wasn't really in the room much and I felt really alone for the first two days. By the third night, I had my first anxiety attack. It was one of the hardest things that I have ever had to go through, and as a result, I really struggled throughout the next few days as I learned to cope with my anxiety. I never imagined that these experiences would solidify that Ferrum College was the perfect place for me!

My extended family has always lived in Franklin County, and they only live about 20 minutes away from campus. I was able to lean on their support during my struggle that first week. They are the first reason that I think Ferrum College is the perfect place for me for the next four years - I be a part of their lives and they can support me.  Secondly, I also met some really great people during the program who gave me support as I coped with my anxiety. Both of the Sams (there were two in our group of 13!), Megan, and Jessica became really close to me and I really can't wait to see what the next four years has in store for the five of us. I never thought that I would meet people who I could relate to and who would understand me, but they broke that barrier and offered me support. The final group of people who were prominent in my journey during the two-week program are the faculty members. Being at a large college, you never really get to know most of your professors, but here, I have gotten to know my professors on a personal level. The relationship between the scholars and the faculty quickly grew into something that I never though was possible.  Drs. Goff, Nicholson, and Dahl each helped me out so much during my time of need and I will never be able to thank them enough.

These three groups of people are the reason that I believe that I will succeed here at Ferrum College in the coming years.  If you would have asked me at the beginning of the program if I was going to be able to come back for college in the fall and be okay, I would have told you "no."  But through the support of people here and close by, I know I will have a college experience that I won't ever forget.  The Freshman Scholars Program helped me see that with the right kind of support and encouragement, you can achieve and do things that will surprise you beyond belief!