Brenau has always been a part of me. I live close by and have relatives that reside a few minutes from campus. Brenau has always been present throughout every part of my life. I never even imagined that I would find my second home only a few miles away from my first.
The first time I stepped onto Brenau’s campus, I was only 6 years old. The year was 2003. My school had taken a field trip here to see the Gainesville Ballet perform the Nutcracker. I don’t remember much about the performance, but the one thing that I remember about that day was, oddly enough, the fountain on the front lawn. I was mesmorized by the oldness of it and by it’s beauty. Also, it had water in it. I loved water. My teacher was lucky enough to be taking photos that day. Last year while going through old yearbooks, my mom discovered it. “Isn’t that the fountain at Brenau?” “Nah, it can’t be, Mom.” It was and I was stunned. Here it was, physical proof that even little 6 year old me knew that Brenau would be in my life and change me. So I made it my Throwback Thursday photo that week. That little girl with the lunchbox? That’s me. At that time, I had no idea that that place would become more than a field trip in the future.
“There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.” -Nelson Mandela
Flash forward many years to the year 2011. At that time, I was in middle school in the 8th grade. We had traveled to Brenau to see the Gainesville Theatre Alliance perform Briar Rabbit. It was in that moment, sitting in the grass on the front lawn eating lunch, that I fell in love. The theatre itself seemed magical, and the painting above the stage seemed to take me to a different time period altogether. The acting of the cast pulled me in and made me think that I was actually on stage with them. I sat in the balcony, watching the performance in awe. (I now realise that I was sitting in the seat directly above Agnes’ seat, which freaked me out a little.) The atmosphere was unbelievably welcoming. So on the grass I sat, eating my ham sandwich, vowing to remember to apply to college here. I was hooked.
Now flash forward for the last time to my last year of high school in 2015. I had been contemplating on several colleges, like Oglethorpe University, University of North Georgia, and my absolute favorite, Young Harris. My mom had a different story. She wanted me to be close so that she could still visit. It was then that I received an email, inviting me to fill out an application to Brenau University. The memories of that day in 2011 came rushing back to me, and I decided I would take a tour there. I visited for Winter Weekend, and when I stepped back onto the front lawn, I knew Brenau was exactly where I needed to be. I met with the Mass Communications Department that day and fell hard for the opportunity I saw. I saw a place where I could embrace being myself and a place that would become me.
Not everyone has the same journey that I had to find my perfect place. Take tours of colleges and find the one that fits you the best. In the end, I didn’t choose Brenau; Brenau chose me. I am grateful that I have managed to find a college where my talents can shine and where I am able to be accepted for being myself. Take a tour of Brenau or walk our campus and you might find yourself falling in love just like I did.