With the next semester almost right around the corner, I just cannot wait! Every day I get more anxious about it; new books, school supplies, and, of course, new students.
I am no stranger to the campus of UNH Manchester. I wear a lot of hats and I love each and every one of them, but that didn't happen overnight and, truthfully, I never thought I would have become this involved on campus.
I wanted to go to college right out of high school; I had a plan for myself that I couldn't afford to stray from. I worked hard, got involved, and set goals for myself in order to go straight from high school and into a full fledged college experience. I got into my dream school, received notification of my roommates, and was invited to attend orientation, but then I couldn't go due to the cost. I was bummed, to say the least. While all my friends were off having a great time in their first year of college I was stuck working full time and feeling like I was left out.
I was worried because of the saying, “once you take a year off you never go back”. While that might be true of some people, I wasn't going to allow it to become true for me.
I like to say that UNH Manchester fell into my lap; that I didn't find or choose UNH Manchester that it found and chose me, but that took a couple of semesters in order to become true.
Something happened in that year away from school. I wanted to go to school so badly that I was willing to give up my college dreams and just settle. Ultimately, I was past the point of wanting the “college experience". However, I was lost; I didn't know what school I could go to.
My older sister, who is a continuing education student, attends UNH Manchester and mentioned the school to me. She talked about the small class sizes, affordability and range of classes that I could take right in the heart of Manchester. So I applied without doing any additional research other than what my sister had told me. Truthfully, I just wanted to be in school and start my path towards my career. I didn't care about clubs, activities or opportunities on campus; I just wanted to go to class and go home.
So yes, I did, in a way, choose UNH Manchester, but in my first semester I really didn't allow it to choose me back. I continued to work full time and go to class, which didn't give me a lot of time to experience what the campus had to offer.
Happy to say, that girl who just wanted to go to class and leave campus is gone, and for good reason.
Throughout my first year on campus I began to see the amazing opportunities that were coming my way. I started a work study position, became PAL (Peer Assistant Leader), became a Student Activities promoter, directed a play, wrote for a student publication, created my own club, and so many more things in just my first two years and this year is no different.
I became infected with a desire to help and be involved that, even in my high school days, I have never felt before. I was able to think of new dreams and set new goals for myself with the help of others.
UNH Manchester, for me, has so much more to offer than affordability and small class sizes, which are really great, but I have noticed that the faculty and staff truly care and guide their students to heights that the students did not even know were possible. UNH Manchester has chosen me to be better than I ever was, and to give opportunities like I have received to those that step through it’s door for the first time.
I am happy that I didn't get the traditional “college experience” because the experiences I have had and will continue to have at UNH Manchester are worth the wait.
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Kristin Boelzner is a junior English major at UNH Manchester and a graduate of Manchester West High School.
