My decision to apply to my town’s local university, Brescia, back in 2012 was based on all the wrong reasons. In short- my boyfriend at the time (also located in Owensboro) was a senior in high school and the thought of being more than 15 minutes away from my parents’ house terrified me. Funny how time plays out though, since my high-school-sweetheart and I broke up about a month into my first semester and I’m currently typing this article from Germany, my home for the past 6 years.
Although my reasons for ultimately selecting Brescia as my college of choice weren’t exactly conscientious, I can say with certainty that this was the best way to start my journey into adulthood. I instantly knew I had found my people from the first day I experienced on campus and was excitedly greeted by the student leaders who genuinely brought so much joy to the seemingly mundane task of moving into my dorm. I wanted to be a part of this spirit and what I now recognize is truly the Brescia Difference.
To me, the Brescia Difference is the people. At the end of the day, a university in itself is nothing but a collection of buildings filled with desks for the students to sit in and a podium at the front for the professor to teach. What makes Brescia special is that from my entire four years of experience, I never encountered a faculty or staff member who wasn’t truly and openly interested in my ambitions. Even months after graduation when I realized I wanted to further my education into a Masters degree, my professors and mentors were more than willing to help me achieve my goal. Without missing a beat, I was given beautiful recommendation letters and words of glowing encouragement.
Because of this support and reassurance from my connections at Brescia, I was accepted into a Masters program at an elite business school in Cologne, Germany. This also boded well into the relationship with my husband, Tom, an international student from Germany, who I met my first week at Brescia. Fast forward through successfully finishing the 2-year program and obtaining my degree, I am fortunate to now be a Business Analyst at Trivago headquarters in Düsseldorf, Germany for almost 4 years.
The biggest pull for me going to Brescia University was to essentially stay within my comfort zone, but my time there and the people I met are what pushed me to break out of that shell. I ran for leadership positions that I didn’t get, I applied for numerous jobs that ended in rejections, and I got demoted to rank # 6 on the tennis team. From each of these setbacks, however, my Brescia support system never ceased to encourage me to keep challenging myself and moving forward. From this, I had the time of my life being an Orientation Leader, Peer Educator, member of the Student Government Association, and attending practically every Brescia event, special speaker, and home sports game. I will always look back with happiness in my heart and pride in my chest, knowing that my time at Brescia helped shaped the incredible life I am living today