SWOSU is Home.

What do you say to a university that has given you so much? 

Growing up in a town with a regional university, I’ve always been around “college.” The ballgames, the Homecoming parades, the concerts, all of the students. Each August, I’ve looked forward to new faces making my town their chosen home for the next couple of years. I didn't quite grasp the concept of college until I actually moved up to the hill. I knew that college was about continuing your education, but I didn't understand the rest of the story. I found out very quickly that college meant more than just classes that were only 3 days of the week. College was about the people you meet, the organizations you joined, staying up late, making impromptu road trips, and finding forever friends.

This is not a blog about college in general. This is about the college I attended. The college that gave me two degrees, countless friendships, unending laughter, years of tears, and truly made me who I am today. Southwestern Oklahoma State University has been my place of refuge for the past 6 years. I graduated in 2014, then came back for round 2. Each time was unique. Undergrad was fun; a time when I had time to do anything I wanted. Grad school was hard and time-consuming but showed me so much about myself. 

As I was giving my very last tour of campus the other day, the father of the student asked me, "Why did you choose SWOSU?" Now this is a typical question I get on tour, but there was something different about this one. This was the last time I would be asked this question as a tour guide. The last time I would have the opportunity to share why I chose this beautiful place. The last time I would be able to assist a prospective student with the college choice. I thought for a moment about my words.

My response? "Because SWOSU is home." 

After I said that, I was overcome with so much emotion. This university has changed me. And it truly has become my home.

I've been a part of this campus long enough to have patterns-- patterns that have become traditions, done without even thinking, that feel familiar and meaningful and just right.

I use the same parking lot and use the same door on the north side of the Stafford building. It took me a full year to get used to the new basketball gym. It was so big, and the other one was so small and perfect. I am familiar with each sidewalk, each staircase, each place to plug my phone in when it needs a charge. I know the doors that stick and which parking spaces are too tight for my car. I'm familiar with the way the trees shade the sidewalk and the quickest routes from two any given points on campus.

I'm familiar with the food.

(I could write an entire blog post completely devoted to the food. But, I'll try to condense it into a paragraph, only highlighting my absolute favorites.) 

The pancakes before finals. A Hickory cheddar burger. Spicy Fries with ranch. Pepperolies with ranch. Fried green beans with ranch. A pepperoni calzone with ranch. Chicken bacon ranch sandwich with a side of ranch. Lots of things with ranch. Turkey Sub without lettuce, to-go. Free grilled hot dogs at every event, unless that event is a free pizza event. Strawberry spinach salad with feta cheese. All you can eat Baby Bakers from the Caf. The occasional "soup of the day." Chicken potato burrito, grilled. Cheesecake at banquets. And last but not least, warm blackberry cobbler with ice cream on top. Okay. I'll be done. 

But I think what has become the most traditional for me are the people. 

The people I see as I cut through the Administration Building when it's raining outside. The professors who track me down at Walmart just to see how I'm doing. The boys who mow for the physical plant in the heat of the summer. The kid who takes my order at Starbucks that doesn't even have to ask anymore, because I always order the same familiar thing. The Sigmas having a bake sale in the lobby. The team that is always playing pick-up basketball in the Wellness on Tuesdays. The guy with the headphones, the girl with the coffee mug, the couple holding hands. The people who stand in front of the stairs every day as I slide around them to go to work. The heartbeat and lifeblood of campus: the students, the teachers, the administration, and the cats at the Old Science Building.

I could sit and watch the campus buzz for days. There's just something so magical and sweet and heart warming. It's strange how a place can steal your heart, but SWOSU has done just that. It's shaped me and made me strong. I've had the rare opportunity to truly grow up here on campus. Not only do I come from a long line of SWOSU Alumni, but I also get to watch my family members devote their careers to the university, doing all they can to ensure that it succeeds and thrives for future generations. My dad has worked on campus for around 30 years as the Director of Enrollment Management. There is no way to look at how many students he has recruited, how many scholarships he has given, or how his love of college has rubbed off on all of the people he works with. I'm proud of what the Boyd's have accomplished in our hometown, and I look forward to many more years of my family working within higher education. 

My parents had me at every SWOSU event possible from the time I was little, and somewhere in those quiet moments, I fell in love with the campus on the hilltop.

Like my family has done for me, I want to do for my own. I can't wait to bring my future children to campus someday. I'll show them my family brick beneath the clock tower. I'll show them Stewart Hall-- my first home on the hill. I'll tell them stories about how I cried the first few nights in my twin sized bed, even though I was only a mile from my parents or the time I woke up at 4 am to watch the royal wedding on TV by myself. I'll tell them all about the friends I made while in college, that are so very near and dear to my heart.

Friends that make fun of the way you say "Roof" and "Wolf Creek." Friends that understand why you like your taco salad without any lettuce. Friends that high-five each other when they reach their step goal for the day. Friends that play "nose-goes," every hour of every day. Friends that will listen to the Broadway soundtrack of Hamilton for the 3rd time today, simply because you've been obsessed. Friends who don't judge when you sometimes cry during the Alma Mater, because it's just so wonderful. Friends who have your Sonic order memorized. Friends who teach you how to two-step, since that's a requirement to truly be a "Western Oklahoman." Friends who take you to your first ever yoga class. Friends that make you laugh on hard days. Friends that hand you a tissue when you can't hold back tears. Friends who will never remember how well you did on a test, but will remember how you helped them when they needed someone to cry and laugh with. Friends who adored this campus as much as I did.

 Finally, I'll show them my dad's office. I'll tell them about how I gave campus tours-- in the rain, in the snow, in the wind, and in the heat. And how each step I took, the university became more and more like my home.

I'll smile, and know they won't understand the impact this school had in my life or grasp what the campus means to me. But they will know that I love the sweet little university on the hill. And, Lord willing, maybe they'll even grow up to be Bulldogs.

When I look back at my time spent at SWOSU, I can't help but feel a sense of great pride. I am amazed at how much happened in a short amount of time. I will forever bleed blue and sing the praises of the school that has gifted me so much more than just two degrees. 

So, what do you say to a university that has given you so much? 

THANK YOU. 

Thank you for being home.

And, to end this beautiful chapter, I wrote a poem/rap. I mean, it was intended to be a poem, but feel free to drop a beat and rap the words, if you'd like. 

Standing firmly on the hilltop. 
Half price lattes at the coffee shop. 
Parades, Palooza, and Pancakes. 
Renting kayaks at Crowder lake. 
Champions of intramural flag football.
Making it to the top of the rock wall. 
Walking to class in the rain. 
Campus drive is a one-way lane. 
Happy hour is the best part of the day. 
Find a kid with a meal plan to pay. 
Tours of dorms. Filling out forms. 
No school because of ice storms. 
Dragging my friends on the deck for lunch. 
Skipping class to go eat brunch. 
Taco salads at the grill. 
Total Fitness Yoga is so for real. 
Weekly Meetings, cheery greetings, 
assigned seatings, cafeteria eatings. 
Calzones to-go, with a side of ranch. 
Turning up the tunes, so we can dance.
 Pre-test worries. Who even cares? 
A couple of bills. A few gray hairs. 
My brain is wound up way too tight. 
The paper I wrote didn't turn out right. 
College was fun, college was tough. 
Laughs at good times, and tears during the rough. 
My college years have been the best, 
because I found the secret to success: 
Making friends who are just like you 
With degrees to pursue 
A bright future in view 
Who are true 
To the white and blue.