It was the beginning of my senior year of high school, and all there was to talk about was the future and college. I had visited colleges before and even had a few listed as my “dream school.” In September 2020, my family and I decided to safely travel and visit some schools in Southern California. Being that I live in Visalia, California, it was only about a four-hour drive. I had a few schools in mind I wanted to visit: University of California, Irvine, the Claremont colleges and Chapman University. 

I had only heard of Chapman before this trip because my choir teacher was an alumnus, but I never really took interest in the school. While doing college research, a few of my ideal attributes were a small campus, small class sizes and somewhere where I could truly succeed both socially and academically. The moment I stepped foot on Chapman’s campus, I fell in love with the school. After a self-guided tour and further research, Chapman was somewhere that felt like home. 

I proceeded to watch videos and attend webinars. In these webinars, I saw the passion administrators and students had for their education. I learned about the community and campus life and how Chapman was more than just a university; it is a family. It's hard to not mention the beautiful campus and surrounding area that add to Chapman’s charm. 

After endless drafts and edits, I submitted my early action application in late October and counted the days until admission decisions. When I opened my portal to Chapman and saw the confetti and congratulation message, it felt like a brand new era — a new beginning to an awesome adventure awaiting me. It was impossible to not be emotional because after hard work, I was finally seeing it pay off. I was awarded a Provost Scholarship and also received a scholarship from the Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences for my psychology major. The grants and scholarships I received played a key role in my decision, because they made Chapman a lot more affordable for me. 

I knew the moment I received my acceptance in December that I was going to be a Panther. 

Others were shocked by my sudden decision to accept my offer, when most decisions were not to be released until mid-March, but it was the faculty and students that made me so sure about my decision. It was the school pride students have, the support and endless opportunities provided on campus, that made me choose Chapman. I'm so pleased and excited to be a part of the Panther family and cannot wait for the endless memories I will create beginning this upcoming fall.