Posted October 7, 2016 by
Tags: The Liberal Arts Spiritual Life My Wheaton Campus
Why I Came to Wheaton
To be honest, Wheaton wasn’t even on my radar when I began to look at colleges. I knew quite a few Wheaton graduates and loved their stories, yet I never considered that Wheaton might be the place for me. When I had crossed off every school from my “prospective list,” Wheaton began to frequently pop up. I would randomly meet people–for example, a new intern at my church–who went there or knew people who went there. I felt prompted to visit.
Immediately upon arrival at Wheaton during my first campus visit in October 2015, I found a loving community, a wonderful tour guide and overnight host, and fantastic classes. Wheaton’s motto, “For Christ and His Kingdom,” spoke to me and what I want my life mission to be. I immediately got the impression that, unlike many other colleges, Wheaton stands behind its faith. Its motto impacts all aspects of life. I knew the search was over. I felt like I belonged, and knew Wheaton was a school where I would be academically challenged and where I could be honest about my religious struggles yet grow fiercely in my faith. And now I’m here. I’m almost two months into my freshman year, and I still can’t believe it. Wheaton is incredible.
As a public high school graduate, I am still constantly amazed that, through the liberal arts curriculum, I am discussing how biology, elementary education, Spanish, and many other topics are “For Christ and His Kingdom.” There are hard days through the transition that come with moving 15 hours away from home, yet I couldn’t ask for a better community. My floor is incredible, my professors truly want to get to know me and care about my life, and God is good. Everyone here is cheering for one another.
My advice to any prospective students: Trust in God, He knows where you need to go. I hope and pray that Wheaton is the place that He is leading you to, because this is a beautiful place that will support you, love you, and challenge you to lean on the Lord as you grow into the person He created you to be. However, if He is leading you elsewhere, I pray that you will lean on Him throughout your first year because He is our firm foundation.
Blessings.
Rebecca Carlson ’20 is an elementary education major with an ESL endorsement. To learn more about Wheaton and to apply, visit the undergraduate admissions website. Photo captions (top to bottom): Rebecca’s cabin with Dr. Keith Johnson during the Wheaton Passage program; Rebecca with floormates from Fischer Hall on a bro/sis trip to Chicago; Rebecca and her parents during Orientation Week.