The Starting Gate

September 2007: I was sitting in the Corum (aka the student union) in one of the faded ripped plushy blue chairs with my computer sitting on my lap waiting for friends and lunchtime. The plan had always been to be at Focus on the Family. I decided in high school that I would go there, and spent all of college doing everything necessary to meet every requirement for admission. They wanted a higher GPA, so I raised mine. They wanted leaders, so I spent three years in leadership positions on campus. But sometime between then and now something got lost. I lost my heart and passion for the institute. I want to get out from these walls. I want to go somewhere, but not Colorado Springs. I want an adventure.

Two weeks later I found a search engine on the web: studyabroad.com. First, pick a country. Well, I speak English so that brings me to America, Canada, Australia, and England. I love Jane Austen. I love cute boys with British accents. What about England? Picking a subject of study was easy: psychology. I love psychology. I know psychology. I have 60 credits in psychology. It's interesting. I want to learn more about it. My future is in it. The top result: The University of Oxford through Oxford Study Abroad Programme (OSAP).

October 2007: I want to go to Oxford. I'm excited, I'm passionate, and realistic. I tell NO ONE except my mother about this knowing the high likelihood of my application being rejected. But I can't not try. I start meeting with university officials, doing the home university red-tape to make it happen. Very quickly I find a problem: new school rule. Students may only study abroad at pre-approved programs. Oxford is on the list through Scholar's Semester but not through OSAP. Not a problem...until I find out that Scholar's Semester does not allow study at Oxford in psychology. Oh no! I'm not going into the most intense academic environment of my life and not study the one subject I love and have experience in.

Finding a loop-hole. The only person who can trump this rule is the university provost. His is the last word. I e-mail him, begging for a meeting so I can talk about this. His reply: Sorry! I forward the e-mail to my mom with some added venting (he's not even going to hear me out, he won't even meet with me, this is so unfair!). The morning fuzziness which is my brain did not sent the e-mail to my mom but rather replied it to the provost. His shock at my pure unprofessional ism was enough to swing a meeting. Couple days after the meeting, he found me a loophole: find a faculty member who will take the program to the division for approval. The division chair will then take it to the undergraduate program.

December 2007: Oxford Study Abroad Programme is approved. I can go! That is...if they accept me. To Do List: Submit Application for Oxford.

Spring Break 2008: I should have heard back from OSAP a month ago. Oh well. It was too long a shot. Begin working on Focus on the Family Institute application.

Two days later, still on Spring Break: Out with friends and return home at 1am. I decide to check my e-mail quickly before going to bed, being extremely exhausted. There is an e-mail from OSAP in my mailbox. My application was accepted! I jumped up and down (quietly). After contemplating whether or not to wake up my mom, I decide to just leave her a note for when she gets up for work. Completely unable to sleep due to pure adrenaline rush, I call Amanda (best friend from college), figuring she'd probably still be up anyway.

First Day back to school from Spring Break: Walking to first class that morning and the Rock has my name on it.