Peace. Love. Coe.

A common question asked of college students is why they chose their respective school. Your mom's friends ask during breaks back home, co-workers ask to make conversation, and friends ask to see if there is a legitimate reason for you leaving them and choosing a different school. I can't express how thankful I am that the reasons Coe is so great never include "the party scene" or "well, that's where all the people from my high school go."

See, Coe is more special than that. It's a diamond in the rough, a hidden treasure, a well-kept secret. 

Campus is gorgeous this time of year. The fall colored leaves tumble gently through the crisp Iowa air, and lay gently on the grass. Walking to class it's impossible not to notice the crimson and gold leaves reminding me that Coe isn't just an academic institution (recently named one of the top 100 Private Liberal Arts colleges in the country), it's an atmosphere that resonates in the faculty, administration, students and landscape alike. Even the numerous squirrels are apart of this unique atmosphere.

I go to Coe because some of the most amazing people I have ever met are here, and continue to come here. This is hardly coincidental. It takes a certain type of person to believe in the welcoming culture of Coe. Indeed, it's a leap of faith choosing a college. Luckily for all of us, it's choice that proves worth making on a daily basis. Not only have I been challenged and expanded intellectually, I have also been broadened emotionally. I truly have become a more well rounded human being in just nearly 3 semesters, a latent product of being a Kohawk that is simply priceless.

The following 2 and half years hold a number of opportunities for further growth and I could not be more excited. As Kohawk volleyball player, Erin Dalke, and I have said since deciding on coming to Coe together...

Peace. Love. Coe.