Why I Chose Cumberlands

In a lot of ways, I grew up at University of the Cumberlands (UC). My parents were alumni, so we would stop by campus on our way to Tennessee. When my mom's voice professor retired, I came with her to a retirement concert, and we stayed at the old hotel (it used to be called Cumberland Inn, but it was recently converted into a dorm space we now call Templeton Hall). It was familiar, and the campus was beautiful. In the back of my mind, I always assumed I would go to UC… until senior year of high school. 

I knew I wanted to go to a school in Kentucky so I could keep my KEES scholarship, but as I was visiting many different campuses, it became less clear which place I should call home. 

Mid-year, I narrowed my choices down to three schools, and each had its own benefits and disadvantages. The University of Kentucky was a lot bigger than I would have liked, but I had gotten into the honors program, and I got a large discount because my dad works there. A large portion of my high school committed there. Asbury University was the smallest school I was looking at, a size I appreciated. Some of the people I respect most in the world go to school there, and two of my best friends ended up committing there. But it was a lot more expensive than either of the other schools that I was looking at. 

At the end of the day, University of the Cumberlands was the best choice. The tuition price is very affordable, it is a small school with great academics, and textbooks are free. There was also the benefit of having no classes on Fridays, so every weekend is a long weekend.

The drawback was that UC was the only school where I wouldn't know anyone going. In August, I moved onto a campus of strangers. It made the first couple of months a harder transition than they probably would have been at either of the other schools, but in the long run, I am thankful for my choice and for this school. 

I have been so blessed by the people I’ve met and the organizations I’ve had the opportunity to be part of. I volunteer with Appalachian Ministries, and I love it, and I’m learning a lot in my work-study position in the Office of Communications and Marketing on campus. I’ve made friends in both groups, plus a few in my dorm and in classes. Small class sizes give me the opportunity to know my professors and classmates. Cumberlands fosters community with events like Spotlight and monthly BINGO. And without a huge debt to pay off in the future, I will have more freedom to travel and make post-graduation life choices more based on my goals than my finances. Not everybody can say that, but knowing that’s what my future has in store is really nice.

Like I mentioned earlier, when all is said and done, I made the right choice with UC. I am thankful for the experience so far, and I’m looking forward to the next two years here.