Farewell to North Greenville University: Reflecting on my time as a student
Colby Craig, Staff Writer
In the past four years, I have been shaped by my time as a student at North Greenville. When it all started, I was against the idea of going to school for another four years because I was tired of education as a whole.
After graduating from high school, I was toying with the idea of going to a local trade school so I could get a decent job and fall into step with the rest of society. It was not until I took the entrance exam for this trade school that I realized I hated the very idea of it, and my mom told me about NGU.
We met with someone in admissions, I declared my major as cyber security, went into classes about a week after applying and the rest is history.
I started to realize that this was an environment that I would love to be in for a long time. After changing majors to interdisciplinary studies, I learned from my new advisor, Greg Bruce, that the college experience is so much more than just earning a degree. Engaging in what he calls “learning for kingdom’s sake,” I had an entirely new outlook on education. From then on, I would view my education as a means to grow and not just as a ticket to getting a job.
In my time, I have forged connections with so many great professors and have taken part in so many incredible classes. Haley Gambrell and her creative writing class, Jenna Garrett and her Appalachian literature class, Jeremy Parks and the ASL program to name a few. I do not regret a single minute I spent with any of these fine people, and I honestly wish I had more time with them.
Being a commuter was difficult because I was not forced to interact with anyone outside of class and as a result, most people made friends with each other while I drove home. I think that was the most challenging thing about my experience. It only got better when I finally broke from my COVID shell and would speak up in class.
I only made a handful of friends during my life here, but they led to some of the most memorable experiences I have ever had. My first coffee house, hanging out in downtown Greenville during Christmas time, joining in on a book club of which I was the only guy and Poetry Nights where I wood burned were all things I don’t think I will ever forget.
I have accomplished many things in my time here; I’ve gotten an A in what was formerly known as “Principles of Theological Reading and Writing,” I’ve overcome depression and self-hatred and I’ve even written a large portion of a book that I intend on trying to publish. I do not think that I could have done any of this if my mentors and peers had not poured into me every step of the way.
So, as my time here draws to a close, I want to say goodbye to everyone who knows my name, the hill that I vaulted over almost every day this semester, the trees in front of Craft, the two squirrels that live in those trees, the brick path I would walk back and fourth on when I was waiting hours for my next class, the palatable cafeteria food, all of the professors that have poured into me and those whom I wish I had the courage to try and connect with.
I find it hard to relate to people when they say something like “you’re almost free,” because I will sincerely miss being here every weekday but mark my words: I will be back. Whether it is to visit professors, walk my dog, or to work after I walk further into my life, I will be back.
Thank you and farewell for now.
