Stephany Gaona

I was born and raised in Athens, GA. If you had asked me if I thought I would be a student at the giant university that swarms my city two years ago, I would have shrugged my shoulders.

Growing up in a college town definitely had its pros and cons. I remember the number of field trips I would take to UGA. I appreciate that we had those opportunities, and I credit it for sparking my interest in pursuing higher education. However, I will not deny all the times I complained about how bad traffic was because of the influx of students every year.

When it came time to decide where I'd go to college, I was stuck. Part of me wanted to go thousands of miles away. The other part of me didn't want to pay out-of-state tuition. I chose UGA because it was the best choice for what I wanted to study, financial stuff, etc. I thought I was familiar with UGA and the transition would be smooth.

Imagine my surprise when I got to campus and struggled to find Aderhold Hall because I had no clue what that was. Those tours we went on in high school only showed North Campus, the Tate Center, and the MLC. I was so shocked at how huge the campus is. What was so difficult to get used to was how different UGA is from Athens. UGA is its own bubble in Athens.

I have grown to love UGA and immerse myself in its traditions. I still hold the rest of Athens close to my heart. Seeing two sides of my hometown is still surreal, but I think we all have to get used to living through different experiences at some point in our life.