The switch from high school to college is always a big one, but moving from Providence to Texas Christian University (TCU) raised this transition to an entirely new level. I moved from having fifteen classmates to having almost two thousand. I moved from playing on every sports team to cheering on the number-two-ranked Horned Frog football team. I moved from a very cool Kirkland, Washington to the blisteringly hot city of Fort Worth, Texas. The change has been drastic, but it has been successful, with just a few bumps along the road. I attribute this success to the academic and social foundation that I received at Providence.

I never thought that I would admit this, but I am now grateful for the rigor of Providence academics. During my first month at TCU I have gained a deep appreciation for how well I was prepared for a college course load. I am not just talking about homework times, but those certainly apply! Classes in Providence are small, discussion based, and most importantly led by teachers who know how to help individual students grow. At Providence I was able to get to the heart of many issues through discussions that simply do not happen in a large class environment. Already I have drawn on many issues that I learned in school to apply to classes at TCU. Providence provided me with a strong worldview on which I could build during my years in college. We were taught how to evaluate new ideas and how to incorporate them into our Christian worldview. We did not study just to memorize facts, we studied to broaden and deepen our knowledge of the world. It has been this approach to academics, which has stuck with me and has already given a deeper meaning to my studies at TCU. I ultimately attribute this lesson to the faculty at Providence who were always wise, godly, and intelligent mentors.

Of course college isn’t just about academics. Moving into a new community is perhaps the most exciting and stressful part of the first year of college. Is it overwhelming at first to move from such a small community to a large college? Yes. However a strong foundation that I developed through strong relationships at Providence has made all of the difference. Providence is a small community, which encourages students to develop deep relationships with all of their peers, regardless of their differences. This lesson is invaluable. College is a time to decide whether to spend time with people just like me, or to branch out. This question has already been answered for me, because I had seen the value of developing relationships with many different personalities. Furthermore having benefited from such a strong, tight-knit community at Providence has motivated me to pursue similar opportunities in college through extra-curricular activities. Already I am enjoying friendships through BYX, the Christian Fraternity on campus. Community is built on the strength of individual relationships, which are the foundation of Providence social life.

My appreciation for the foundation that I built at Providence continues to grow. I cannot be happier looking back at the time I spent bonding with the soccer team on trips, learning Calculus from Mr. Morris, or having deep discussions in tight-knit classrooms with close friends.

Aidan Walsh – Class of 2015