Middlebury has helped me grow more than I could have ever set my heart on. I came to this school unsure of what I wanted to take from it, but it was only a matter of time before I grounded myself in what I wanted to accomplish. I fell in love with the professors of the classics department and found myself on track to study ancient cultures and go to law school.

I did something different and joined the competitive cheerleading team and later became captain. Most importantly, however, I “came out,” and was later elected co-president of the Middlebury Open Queer Alliance. Middlebury is a place where you want to take a chance and do something you may never have thought you could do before. It is a place that inspires growth: a place for learning about the world and about yourself.

Probably the most unique thing Middlebury has to offer is an administration that truly cares for its students. I have been lucky enough to form personal relationships with various deans at the College, but perhaps the greatest honor of my time here was working directly with President Liebowitz to tackle issues on gay rights, homophobia, and support for the Middlebury queer community.

Our administration may be the only one with a heart as big as it has, and it truly beats for every student here. So, while my own heart will always be in Grants Pass, Oregon, I couldn’t be more thrilled that my college career is taking place at Middlebury.