The Right Choice For Me

August of 2017, I had to finalize my decision on where I wanted to attend school and play basketball. I called the head coach at the time, Greg Ulland, and told him I was committing to the University of Jamestown. His response to my commitment was the first sign that I was making the right decision.

Starting off my freshman year was exciting and nerve racking all at the same time.

I came in only knowing my roommate, and I was five hours away from home. It was very hard to adjust at first moving from a big town (Woodbury, MN) to a smaller town (Jamestown, ND). I also felt like I was the only one that missed home like crazy and was constantly busy with school and sports.

After my first semester, I started to get into the groove of things. I found a good group of friends that created a lot of fun in Kroeze court yard. Also, we attended more sporting events other than our own. Freshman year flew by and in the blink of an eye I am finishing up my last semester as a nursing major. I have learned so many life lessons throughout college and have created so many memories that will stick with me forever.

There are a few things that made Jamestown the right choice for me.

First, I knew I wanted to give basketball a shot my first year of college. This has been such a highlight in my four years of college and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. My teammates are like sisters to me and the bound that we have created, especially my senior year, is something special that I will never forget. This team has taught me how to be a better leader and how to be there for someone when it may not be their best day. Also, all the hard practices and time commitment has taught me that not everything in life is going to be easy.

Second, deciding to choose nursing as my major. I started off as a biology major, then exercise science, and finally settled on nursing. Yes, it is okay to not know what you want to major in when you first come to college. Juggling nursing and basketball was definitely stressful and time consuming, however it has taught me time management and multitasking. The nursing faculty is extra special and if I would have met every one of them before choosing this school, this would have determined my major from the start. I never thought I would have the type of relationships with my professors that I do. They personally know me, and you don’t get that type of relationship with professors at a bigger school.

Third, the small class size. I never thought I would attend a college that seemed smaller than my high school. However, this was the best choice for me. I have a nursing class of 18 students. I feel this has allowed me to focus and be committed to being attentive in class. Also, a majority of the students are athletes, so they are able to relate to being a student athlete. I like being able to walk around campus and say hi to a majority of the people I walk by.

Overall, coming to the University of Jamestown has molded me into the person that I am today. I now know what it means to be a Jimmie and I have loved being a part of the Jimmie family.