"Start small, go slow, but go.”

My life as a Warren Wilson College student is about to end. On Saturday, May 16, 2009 (short 4 weeks from now), I will graduate from this fine educational institution with a degree in Outdoor Leadership Studies. Whoa.

I transferred to Wilson from Hood College, which is another small, liberal arts college in Frederick, Maryland. Hood was my fallback school, and when the college I had my heart set on fell through with financial aid, I realized that I needed to fall back. It was not a good fit. I won’t sit here and complain, but basically, students at Hood are not focused on the community as a whole and I had a difficult time making friends, despite my best efforts. I found solace in the art club (which was made up of mostly commuter students) and in the knowledge that I was not going to stay an entire four years.

During spring break of my first year, I looked at schools in California and in the fall of my sophomore year I looked at schools in Vermont. I decided that I was somewhat interested in majoring in Gender Studies at Burlington College in Vermont. On Christmas Eve, however, I was talking to a friend who had graduated from Wilson in ’05, and she said something about how she had never heard of another school where students could work on a farm or graduate with an Outdoor Leadership degree. I got excited; I decided right then that I wanted to go to Warren Wilson College to major in this Outdoor Leadership thing. So, having never visited the school, I applied two weeks before the spring semester started, was accepted a week later, and three days before orientation I drove on down south with my mom to find out what this place was all about.

It was, without a doubt, the best decision (and the riskiest!) I have ever made. I love going to school here. I have met people who have changed my life (including the daughter of Maura Bussiere, who I know is reading this blog), learned things about the world and myself, and experienced things I don’t think I would have had I attended a different school. I fell in love with the mountains of western North Carolina, which I not only see every day while on campus, but also lived in for 48 days during a North Carolina Outward Bound Course. I know the town of Asheville and its many splendors, my favorite of which are the Sisters McMullen Cupcake Corner and the French Broad Chocolate Lounge. I met Rue McClanahan, a star of my favorite TV show (The Golden Girls), at a local bookstore. I have also found a great tattoo artist, which is a mixed blessing because it means that now I’ll have to come back to Asheville every time I want a tattoo. And, most importantly, I know that I will do something worthwhile with my life because I came to Warren Wilson College.

I realize now that all of that gushy “Go forth young man/woman” graduation crap is not actually gushy crap. I’m starting to feel nervous and excited about starting my life as a college graduate, and all of the stuff I rolled my eyes at before I’m starting to relate to. This is when I’m supposed to start becoming a real person, and that’s a little scary. I’ll have to do things like pay for health insurance and my cell phone and try to make friends outside of a school setting and try to be a good person and contribute positive things to the world. It’s a lot to think about! Luckily, I don’t have to become an adult all at once, and I have my whole life to get things right. One of my favorite professors, Dr. Marty O’Keefe, says something that I like a lot: “Start small, go slow, but go.” And that’s what I intend to do, to go.

Laurel