For me choosing a school came easy. I knew in my heart that St. Bonaventure University was the place for me.Â
When I was a sophomore in highschool, college not even being a thought on my mind, I took a road trip upstate to western New York. It was a cold day in February, snow on the ground and five hours away from home. I remembered thinking the whole car ride up there that we were in the middle of nowhere. We were. Bonaventure was the last stop on a trip around upstate New York to numerous universities. They all started to blend, and they all had one thing in common: old. My older cousin, a Lehigh class of 2026 student, applied here first. My mom told me this was an amazing opportunity to get my feet wet, and start thinking about the college process, but at that moment it just seemed so far away; I had zero interest.Â
February 2022, I found myself standing in the back of the tour group, not wanting to be noticed, not wanting to be asked how old I was, I was just there to follow my cousin. The tour was quick, and ended sooner than I thought it would’ve. We ended our night there with a basketball game, I would say that’s where I truly fell in love with the idea of being a Bonnie. From the students yelling. To how the campus made me feel like I was a part of its life and I was still two years out of even being a senior in high school.Â
Come my senior year and applying to colleges, Bonaventure was at the top of the list. It was the first school I sent my application out to. Following in perfect fashion, Bonaventure was the first school I got accepted to. October 18, 2023 sitting in the library during lunch. I decided randomly to check my portals, not even knowing I received an update. It was at that moment I found out I was officially a Bonnie. The college process is overwhelming, tiring, exhausting among many other things. I found that making a final decision on where I wanted to spend the next four years of my life was daunting. Choosing a major that you want to spend the rest of your life doing at seventeen is an unrealistic task. I didn’t pick Bonaventure until the springtime. April to be exact, a month before the deposits were due. I don’t know why I chose so long to finalize my decision. I knew deep down, to the bottom of my heart that it was going to be Bonaventure. I knew from the first time I stepped onto campus that chilly February day in sophomore year, that I was meant to be a Bonnie.
There is something truly so special about this place. A top priority for me on the list of what I wanted out of a university started with me not being a number. Bonaventure is small, and in my short time here I’ve become so familiar with so many different faces. Coming to a school where every individual matters just as much as the next is such a blessing, I couldn’t ask for more. I wanted to feel seen. Being welcomed by St. Bonaventure is a true representation of that.
I guess if I had to do the last year over again, I wouldn’t change much. I would pick St. Bonaventure the moment that I got in and not long over the idea that I didn’t know what I wanted. I did know.Â
I have my cousin to thank, she introduced me to a place that I call home now. Although she didn’t become a Bonnie.