As we finish up registering for the spring semester and approach the end of our fall semester, I have been reflecting on my time at Hamline and on why I chose to be a Hamline Piper.

During my senior year of high school, like many high school students, I was searching for colleges to apply to. At the time, I had narrowed down my choices to three: the U of M, Mankato State and Hamline. Before I started doing my research into where I wanted to apply to, I had not heard of Hamline. However, during one of the various college admission visits that my high school had, I liked what Hamline admission office had mentioned that their campus offers not only in the sense of Hamline being a smaller school but also in the academic programs and on campus activities.

After being in a public high school, where most of my classes were 20 kids or more, I’d wanted to go to a smaller college. A smaller campus meant the students and professors got to know each other beyond just names. Even as a junior, there are still some professors that I had during my first year that when I see them, I can strike up a conversation, which I do not think I would have gotten if I chose another university.

You also form connections with other students on campus, even if you have only had a class with them once or attended one event for a student organization they are a part of. Going to a smaller campus has led me to know some really great people, students and staff alike. While we talk about small campuses in terms of classroom size, we do not really see people talk about the connections you form when you are more than just a handful of people on campus.

While I was not able to attend any of the on-campus visits, I did take the virtual tour, which helped me see the school beyond just the pictures you could see when you look up the university. The virtual tour also helped me see how small the school was, compared to other universities like the U of M, where a student may need to take a shuttle bus to the opposite end. With Hamline, you can walk to any of the buildings within five minutes or less.

In terms of academic programming, I already knew what I wanted to study before college. I’d heard about Hamline’s education program through two of my teachers in high school, both of whom had gone to Hamline at one point, and another teacher recommended it because of the theater department.

Now, what we’re talking about are all the amazing facets of Hamline that helped me decide to apply. A major factor for many students is academic scholarships. This was high up on my list for any school. While this seems like it would be a factor for anybody, this was especially important for me because I am a first-generation college student, and I already knew that college was going to be expensive, especially since I chose to go to a private university.

I know I am luckier than most, and I have not had to take out a student loan yet. However, scholarship money was important in my decision making because while I am indigenous because of the eligibility requirements that require me to prove that I’m enrolled in a federally recognized tribe, I’m not able to get a lot of the scholarships that are geared towards Native Americans attending college.

I know that every person experiences college very differently and had different high school experiences as well, which also factored into why they chose Hamline. One thing I want to reiterate is one of the reasons I chose Hamline, outside of how much I got in scholarships. At Hamline I’ve met so many cool people that have helped me not only grow as a person, but also in other aspects like writing, acting and much more.