Before my junior year of high school, I attended a summer writing program that changed my life. Before I found the program, I had never even heard of Wash U. After I arrived on campus, however, I felt a sense of safety and comfort that I hadn’t experienced on any other college campus. That first day, my mom and I walked through Forest Park on our way to the Missouri History Museum and I got overwhelmed by how much it looks like City Park in New Orleans, where I grew up. I made great friends through that program and I really enjoyed the whole experience of living in a suite-style dorm. Still, I was only a rising junior so I didn’t make any decisions just yet.
A year and a half later, I had to make the intimidating decision of where to go to college. By that point, I had been on so many college tours that I felt I could give one myself. Still, I kept returning in my head to Wash U and to my amazing summer experience. After I applied, I found out I had advanced to the finalist stage for the Nemerov Writing Scholarship and so I would need to travel to St. Louis for the interview.
During my interview with Kathleen Finneran, the head of the Nemerov Program at the time, I learned that the scholarship included a program with a built-in community of writers who attended events together and offered critiques of each other’s writing. For someone who loves writing as much as I do, it sounded like a dream come true. Additionally, I liked the fact that Wash U’s main focus isn’t writing. While I appreciated having a community of writers, I didn’t think creative writing would be my main focus in college. As it turns out, I’m majoring in International and Area Studies and minoring in Writing.
The summer writing program I took part in the summer before my junior year of high school and the conversation I had with Kathleen Finneran about the Nemerov Scholarship ultimately convinced me to choose Wash U. I fell in love with the campus and with the idea of having a community of writers as I pursued my interests in another field. Also, I can’t lie, the suite style dorms were a big part of the appeal. I’ve never regretted my decision, and I don’t think anyone who chooses to come here would either.
