During my first semester at Gettysburg College, I finally found a place where I feel most comfortable—a home that has already begun to hold so many valuable memories. Exploring Little Round Top, sampling Mr. G’s ice cream (the best I’ve ever had in my life), venturing through the battlefield (an aspect of our campus that I knew would become a special part of my college experience), driving to The Land of Little Horses and countless fruit markets along the way, I cannot express in words how content I am with the people I’ve met, the courses I’ve taken, and the relationships I’ve begun to build.
Through volunteering at GIV Day and writing for the Gettysburgian newspaper, I’ve finally figured out who I am. I’m an English major with a writing concentration; I’m goofy and driven and sometimes lazy; I love writing and literature; I am so proud to say that I am a part of the Gettysburg College community. I cannot emphasize how thankful I am to have the chance to get to know so many talented individuals, those who all have different stories, different opinions, and different values to share. With such a passionate institution of students, there’s something undeniably beautiful about Gettysburg College and the surrounding area as a whole—how we are surrounded by not only pieces of history, but also by secluded farms, miles of meadows covered with daisies, rimmed by hedges full of berries, roses, and apple trees bare of fruit from last season. It’s not every day that I’m able to see cows or horses or enjoy weather that is not as freezing in the winter as Northern New Jersey. I love it here. Since the first day, our college campus was the place where passion met something softer: homecoming and safety and pure comfort. It was all those things intertwined and it’s here at Gettysburg College where I truly feel like I belong.
I cannot imagine myself to be anywhere else. Throughout my first semester, I’ve done so many things I thought I wasn’t capable of: writing about controversial topics on campus, going outside of my comfort zone to succeed, speaking courageously about my beliefs, attending discussions about race and religion on campus, and other things that have helped me grow as an individual. I want to take a moment to thank every single person who has been with me throughout these past four months of this adventure and to also thank the admission members who made this dream possible.
And, the best thing is that the journey has only just begun.
Jenna Seyer
Class of 2019