I remember telling my mom I wanted to go to Auburn University only after browsing the University of Alabama’s college application (that was short lived, don’t worry).
She thought I was crazy.
Junior year of high school I asked my older cousin what she would do differently if she could redo her college experience, knowing what she knows now about life. After graduating from a small private college in New Jersey, she said she would have gone somewhere like Bama because she would have had the opportunity to meet people from all over. That sounded good to me, so I went ahead and looked at the application for the University of Alabama. I even called the admissions office because I was confused! How could they only want my GPA and where I’m from? I asked if I could send in a resume and they said that wasn’t necessary. On the phone I said, “Okay, thank you” and hung up. But in my head and likely out loud to my mom, “Nope. Goodbye, I’m not even finishing that, there is SO much more to a person than a GPA” That may not be the case when applying to grad school, but at that point in my life I didn’t want to be counted out before people even know me.
I still liked the idea of a school that draws people from all over the states and internationally. And I liked Auburn, granted all I knew about it was that it was in Alabama and Bo Jackson went there. Growing up as an athlete, I really liked Bo Jackson. If you haven’t seen the 30 for 30 on him, watch it and thank me later. Most people hear his name and know his phenomenal athletic abilities but not many people knew his background. I’m not going to go in depth, but in short – I knew he had a stutter and was incredibly shy growing up, and at Auburn a professor really helped him grow with his speech and fluency, as a person and I’m sure academically. After his time at Auburn he spent some time in the NFL and the MLB, sustained a hip injury that prevented him from playing football again, and he went back to the MLB. He is retired now and in various sports Hall of Fame’s, to this day he runs a annual charity called Bo Bikes Bama. As a young kid who had a stutter and was impacted by it, I thought, “If Auburn could do that for him, it must be a pretty great place.”
I’m getting off topic, welcome to my brain.
So I just told my mom I was seriously considering Auburn, and she looked at me like I was crazy. She said, “You’re kidding, right? That’s a 17 hour drive!” We hopped on a plane to Atlanta GA, rented a car and started the hour and 30 minute drive to a small town called Auburn in East Al. As we were driving up to the “Sweet Home Alabama” welcome sign, the song “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd came on the radio and a few seconds later the clock changed to central time. I kid you not, you cannot make this stuff up. Naturally, I excitedly start hitting my mom on her shoulder with my left hand saying “Mom, mom, mom did you see that!?” She tiredly replied, “Nicole relax, the tour is tomorrow, don’t get ahead of yourself and don’t hit the driver.” I ignored everything she was telling me at that moment and responded, “Okay, but I think this is a sign from the big guy in the sky, I’m supposed to go to Auburn.”
The campus tour was the next day, Cody Bass was my tour guide. You know those great people you meet in life who leave a lasting impression? He’s one of those. I don’t know if it was the whole experience itself or his enthusiasm and kindness. But he was an awesome tour guide and helped me fall in love with this big school with a small town feel, an emphasis on sports that felt like home. I was wearing shorts and a tee-shirt and it was beautiful outside. At the end of the tour I bought a little “Auburn Dad” car magnet and that was how I was planning to let my dad know I had made my decision.
So fast forward, our plane landed in Newark NJ. There was ice on the ground and about 4 inches of snow covering the cars. I was standing in this parking lot, freezing and calling security because I thought someone stole my car. Turns out I had just forgot where I parked, go figure. That was the day I learned when parking in a large parking lot pick a landmark to park near to that won’t move and write it down!
It is likely that the weather played a small role in making the decision, but I’m not going to confirm or deny that.
We get back home and my dad was readily waiting to hear about the trip and my thoughts on attending college there. I smiled and handed him that Auburn Dad magnet! He was excited for me, but also said we needed to make a deal. If I were to go to Auburn for school, I needed to come home for the summer because he goes through “Nicole withdrawal”. Gotta love him.
Welcome, thanks for reading & stay tuned for more about me, my story and my upcoming adventures! (there’s a lot!)
NEXT STOP: ATL
LATER: Disney, Orlando Fl
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