MANSFIELD - Growing up in the city of Harrisburg, I am used to big buildings and busy streets. Though Harrisburg isn't exactly a big city, it is still quite different from the town of Mansfield.
The high school I attended was right in the middle of the downtown area. We had to ride the city bus and got to experience working in a business environment before we were studying for our SATs.
Being in the middle of downtown area, we were always interacting with the lawyers and accountants who worked in the same area. One of my high school's mottos was to be a walking, talking billboard for our school, so I really did appreciate learning how to carry myself as a young adult earlier than most people.
Though I did love my high school a lot, I quickly grew tired of the city. As a senior in high school, I was not always quite sure of where I wanted to go, I just knew that I wanted a different setting.
I have been visiting colleges since I was in the eighth grade and everything always blended together. No school really stood out.
When I came to Mansfield, everything was different. The other school I visited didn't feel welcoming and I didn't want to spend four years of my life there.
But at Mansfield, I felt like I was at home. Everyone was sincerely friendly and welcoming. It really reminded me of my high school. I instantly knew that I belonged here.
When I told my parents that I wanted to come three hours into the mountains to Mansfield, they didn't know what to think. They were happy that I knew where I wanted to go, but were still unsure about how I would adjust to the Mountie lifestyle. The only thing I have ever known my entire life was the city, and now I was doing a 180-degree turn.
Mansfield is a beautiful town. Main Street is the epitome of a small-town business environment where everyone knows each other. It is really refreshing and sweet to be in a place so family-oriented.
Though there is not much to do here, it is very serene and when you are bored, there is always something to discover. The scenery is breathtaking, but that is not the only reason I was interested in Mansfield University.
The small, yet diverse, student population is exactly what I was looking for. In high school, I graduated with a class of 76 students. We were a very close-knit group of students, which attributed to our overall success as a class. We really grew to love each other as a family, rather than a class.
I love the small environment and one-on-one attention. I wanted to move to a new surrounding, but I did not want to give up a family like atmosphere at school. I knew I would be more comfortable at a small school like Mansfield, therefore, I knew I would be successful.
Another thing that attracted me to Mansfield was the communications department. I have always had an interest in mass media and broadcasting; I was looking for a great place to go to expand my knowledge and have a great time doing so.
The communication department has a very strong a dedicated staff who are willing to help us learn what we need to know for the job market. The alumni from Mansfield's communications department have great jobs doing what they love and they speak highly of Mansfield.
So far, I feel like I made the best decision of my life to come to Mansfield. There are some things from the city that I miss, like having a movie theater right down the street, but I am more than willing to deal with it. Life in Mansfield is remarkable.
Hendrix is a student in Dan Mason's journalism class at Mansfield University.
