I don’t even know where to begin.

I found Chester my freshman year of High School. I knew what I wanted to study, even then. One of my friends pointed it out to me and I looked into it quickly, but walked away. I didn’t want to go to such a small school, especially one that seems so competitive.

I brushed it off, but my junior year, my parents had me start really looking into schools and Chester came up again. It soon became one of my top three schools. My dad brought me to visit Chester, as well as the University of Maine, Farmington, because my third option was in Ohio and not easily accessible.

My dad and I got in the car and drove from the south eastern coast of Connecticut and when we got here, I took one look at the school and knew that this was where I wanted to be. My third choice school became my first choice with one glance.

I visited UMF the next day, looked at my dad, and he saw from the look on my face that I didn’t belong anywhere else but Chester.

I was terrified to apply at first, because I was afraid that I wouldn’t be accepted anywhere due to my grades in high school. I had low grades and I barely passed each year. My parents didn’t believe in me, that I would never be able to make it into any school and would be forced to go to community college. But when I finally applied, I couldn’t breathe.

I got the letter just a few days after my birthday. I took it into my room to read it alone, and when I read the first line, I broke. I was crying because I was able to go to the school of my dreams.

When I got on campus at the end of August, I knew I was home. I may only be at the end of my freshman year, but I don’t want to go anywhere else. This is the only place I have found a real un-biological family that I would do anything for.