While I had some idea of what I wanted to do after college, I didn’t have a concrete plan on how to make it to where I thought I wanted to be. As scary as that sounds, this is what made the college search process super exciting for me. The College Board website was a great resource that allowed me to read and learn about a bunch of different fields that I never knew existed. It is this very fact that led me to discover my major of homeland security and emergency preparedness. Before I set my heart on this field of study, I also considered criminal justice, history, and architecture as potential majors.
During my college search, I only visited one campus. The campus I chose was Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) located in Richmond, VA. I immediately fell in love with the unique urban atmosphere the campus had to offer. I considered touring my second-choice school of Virginia Polytechnic University but knew deep down that VCU was where I wanted to be and didn’t feel like making the four-hour drive to Virginia Tech anyways.
For my selection process, I only considered schools that were in Virginia which is my home state. Out-of-state tuition was something I did not want to dive into and I felt that Virginia already had some of the best universities in the country. I applied to four colleges, which were all in distinct regions of the state. For me, the homeland security degree was all I wanted to pursue, but I knew it was important to have other options on the table. I applied to VCU in October of 2017 and was accepted in January of 2018.
I was so ecstatic when my acceptance letter arrived because I would be going to study at a school that I truly fell in love with. As a senior looking back on this moment, I can truly say that this was the best decision I have ever made for myself. I love VCU and have found my true passion for intelligence analysis while studying homeland security.
My favorite part about VCU has been my professors and the amazing guest speakers they have brought into my classes. My VCU professors have been some of the greatest people I have met in life. Most have truly helped me along my college journey and made me feel welcomed at VCU. Some of my professors are former career professionals who have shared so much insight into my major and minors. Additionally, I have had the chance to sit in front of so many guest speakers, from former political officials, state government agency heads, and executive leaders working in the homeland security field. My favorite guest speaker was Governor L. Douglas Wilder who was the first African American to serve as governor in the U.S. He is also the namesake of the VCU Wilder School where my degree program is housed. It was an honor to meet such a distinguished member of society and hear the amazing stories he had to offer.