The final hurrah for Hope (my last post!)

Oh, prospies! Do you know how much I've enjoyed this three-year journey blogging for you? What a blast and a blessing it has been to chronicle my entire Hope experience through words and pictures on Life in Orange and Blue. 

As a working woman and December-grad about to don my cap and gown from Hope on May 5th, it's time to move on and leave the blogging to the current students.

Over the last three years I've talked to hundreds, maybe thousands, of you over the phone (through my other admissions job - calling!), emailed dozens of you, met you at visit days, met you over coffee, met you on Twitter. A few of you slept on the futon in my dorm room when you visited Hope! You've commented on blogs and retweeted Tweets. Thank you for all your interaction - it's been so much fun!

I think this is the picture I submitted with my first sample blog post to get this job (all decked out in orange, of course!). It's fitting to include it in my last post!

I took this job because Hope is special to me, but the decision to attend Hope was ridden with questions and doubts. Like you, I waffled. Like you, I laid awake at night envisioning myself at three different schools - which one was it to be? 

When I finally called Hope my home, I sensed a calling to journey alongside others who were battling the same kinds of questions and doubts. The decision to attend a college is no light decision, my dears. Like you, I felt pressure, and like you, I wanted to make the right choice. I understood the weightiness, the difficulty, of this choice. 

After I came to Hope, I saw that Hope wasn't perfect. No college is perfect. At the same time, I wholeheartedly believed it was worth my investment. I came to see Hope's uniqueness among college institutions. I increasingly understood the benefits of a Hope education - immersion in a passionate, intimate community, quality academics, spiritual searching and growing, dedicated professors and mentors, career shaping through incredible resources on and off-campus, caring friendships, and inspiring classmates. 

Attending Hope proved to be one of the greatest blessings of my life.

I believe God guides our every step, and I know He guided me to Hope. Over and over again, He affirmed my decision to attend Hope - through my friendships, classes, mentors, experiences that shaped my career direction, off-campus travel to Philly for a semester, spiritual awakening, and incredible opportunities both academic and extracurricular that made college a rich experience.

I believe if I had gone somewhere else, God (being God) would have blessed me just the same, but I know that He works all things together for good, and my years at Hope were filled with His goodness, His grace, and His constant working. 

If I were to list an exhaustive compilation of the ways Hope changed my life, I'd be writing a book (maybe I'll do that someday :-)) Let me share a couple:

Attending Hope taught me that the world is the Lord's, and he is actively redeeming it - we can enter into the resurrection life he makes possible with joy (the "wide open country of salvation" - oh, Trygve!).

Attending Hope opened my eyes to the need for true, honest community, that life cannot be lived alone, that life alone is miserable, and that a life lived alongside and for others is the only way to truly live.

Attending Hope, I discovered how to seek truth in academics, to give my best, to think critically and attempt answers and when in doubt, to always keep learning. I learned how to learn well.

Attending Hope gave me the confidence to pursue my dream of writing, the tools and practice to improve, and the mentors to encourage my forward motion. 

Attending Hope exposed me to over three thousand incredible people using their God-given talents for his glory in academics and extracurriculars; in short, it immersed me in the body of Christ, in all its imperfection and extravagance. This in itself is one of the best gifts a school could ever give.

Beautiful friends, so many of them, that I made during my Hope years. 

Thank you for reading my blog and sticking with me!

Wherever you go in life, whether life takes you (be it Hope or somewhere else), I pray that you have peace about your decisions and that you receive the kind of wise, helpful counsel I had during my high school years that propelled me towards Hope. I dearly hope you choose Hope. But ultimately, I hope you find a college where you can learn, and love, and be loved... because that's the mark of a truly great college.

*** This blog post is dedicated to Garrett Knoth, my Hope admissions counselor who helped me decide to call Hope my home. During my 2008 visit to Hope, Garrett welcomed me to campus with personal attention and authentic, sincere interest in my future. His honesty about Hope's strengths and weaknesses, and his complete willingness to delve into all of my questions, amazed my family and me. 

Even after I became a Hope student, Garrett stayed in touch. His passion for his job always inspired me. In December 2012, Garrett went to be with the Lord after battling cancer for years. I know Hope is thankful for the deep, abiding legacy he left and all the lives he touched.

Exclusive interview with my parents!

Parents.

Where do those precious people fall into your college search? Do your parents have the final word on where you go? Are they pressuring you to love their alma mater - or do they encourage you to blaze your own trail?  

Parents make the college search happen. Let's be honest. You're too busy as high schoolers to schedule the college visits - you've got to study for the ACT and AP exams, write lab reports, write papers, go on late-night Coldstone runs after the basketball game, sleep late on Saturdays, shop for a prom dress, hang out with your besties. 

So they chat with college counselors, stack your mail from all over the country, and talk to your friends' parents to keep tabs on where everyone's going. They form opinions and talk through your options with you. (Let's not forget that they often foot the bills, too… for college visits and the entirety of college, for many of us.)

As I look back at my Hope education from start to finish, I'm amazed at how much my parents guided me, supported me, and covered my every step of the journey with their prayers. I'm SO grateful for their influence. 

Looking back at the pre-Hope years, I'm impressed to observe the delicate, masterful balance my parents achieved between letting me take the reigns on much of my college search while lending me their wisdom (when asked for!). While I sweated and cried over the top colleges on my list as a high schooler (Wheaton, Hope, and St. Olaf), my parents ultimately left the decision up to me. But we had many discussions together, and they contributed valuable insights that were hugely helpful to me. 

My parents did more than help me choose Hope - they celebrated my entire experience at Hope! They dreamed with me about the future, affirmed my choice of a major I felt passionate about even though it didn't promise high-paying positions, supported my long-distance relationship, prayed for my daily life at Hope, and stuck with me for the whole ride. They traveled the long ten-hour care ride to Holland to visit or move me back to school several times a year. They sent cookies during stressful weeks. They called. They listened to my stories. They applauded my good grades. They advised my life decisions, my decision to spend a semester in Philly, and my decision to graduate early. 

So unselfish, so loving, and so - parental - of them.

I am so thankful for my mom and dad!

84 East in Holland

My family visited sophomore year to see me sing in Vespers, so I showed them the joy of spaghetti pie at 84 East!

First visit to Hope!

This is a precious memory - my first time in Holland, and my mom came along! Instantly we both knew this was the school for me.

Sophomore year

Mom helping me move into Gilmore

They're awesome!

I remember this move-in day was particularly hot, but my parents were cheerful about it!

Visit to Philly!

When I participated in Hope's Philadelphia Semester, my parents came for a weekend visit.

I thought it would be fun to sit down and "interview" my mom and dad (Debbie and Tracy) casually about that period of our lives four years ago, when they were helping me think through my future. My hope is that this "conversation" with my parents helps you and your parents as you go through similar experiences. 

Q: Hey Mom and Dad! Remember when we found Hope at that little college fair in Minneapolis? What were your first impressions of Hope College?

Mom: I thought, hmm, that seems like it could be a nice fit. It was outside of the box. I remember how nice Garrett Knoth (my admissions counselor) was. He made it seem like it would be so easy to visit, and that they would be so accommodating {at Hope}, and they were. I took you to Panera for lunch afterwards - and we got lost, do you remember that?! (Haha, yes, mom.) When we first visited Hope in the fall, I remember how gorgeous it was. And it fit your vision of ivy-covered walls and an academic-looking campus. 

Dad: I remember being concerned with Hope's theology... Dutch Reformed, we didn't know what that was! I wanted to go in the bookstore and see what the professors wrote. I remember looking online at the professors, trying to get some feel for that. I liked that you would be exposed to different theologies.

Mom: One of my first impressions was that Hope wouldn't shield you from the world in an unrealistic or unhealthy way. A lot of your friends were planning to attend schools that felt like Christian bubbles, with strict rules on chapel attendance and statements of faith that you had to sign. Hope claimed to be vibrantly Christian, but it didn't have the same rules as the other Christian schools. We probed everyone - what is the focus here? Is this really a Christian school? Garrett was instrumental in helping us understand Hope's uniquely Christian character, how it gave so much latitude for students to seek Christ on their own in a strong spiritual environment. 

Q: How much trust did you have in my 18-year-old ability to decide on the best institution to provide my collegiate education, and also on my judgment to find the best place for me to grow spiritually? 

Dad: We did trust your judgment, and I was relying a lot on seeing your reaction as you responded to each college. That's what I was doing: watching you react to the experience. The more we saw your reactions, the more we could tell if a school was right for you. 

Mom: We knew you could get a good college education anywhere you went, but you had to find a place that you enjoyed living...

Dad: …and that was fitting for you. I mean, just seeing the downtown and the unique nature of Hope. It was fitting for you - Holland is not a typical college town. It's got unique aspects - it's a vacation area, but it's very quaint. 

Mom: It had a personality, a sophisticated-academic personality within the setting of a welcoming, safe, and cute town. It's not like any place I've ever been.

Q: Growing up, we had a safe, supportive Christian home where you taught me a clear understanding of right and wrong. As parents, how did you feel about Hope's less conservative aspects, like its curfew and visiting hours? 

Mom: I realized that the faculty gave a lot of latitude and had a lot of trust for the students, basically, like, "This is what we expect of them, but they'll do what they're going to do..."

Dad: ...but I got the strong sense that [faculty and staff] would be a spine that would hold you together, not brainwash you.

Mom: They weren't going to control you with rules. They were going to respect your independence while letting you know what their expectations were. I remember being surprised by the 2 AM curfew, and that boys could be in girls' dorm rooms. But I had to realize, they're expecting you to be grown-up. This is college. 

Q: What was it like moving me into Hope?

Mom: The orientation staff moved you in! They just, "pshoom!" It was a cold day, too. 

Q: Now that I'm about to graduate from Hope, how do you think Hope has shaped my life in unique ways that another college couldn't?

Mom: It wasn't a bubble. You never wanted to be babied in college, and you weren't. You experienced strong Christian community, but you also got more of a representation of the real world. I think you can say you definitely experienced secularism, but you experienced the benefit of abundant Christian resources. 

Dad: And the pull was still there to ignore the Christian element if you wanted to. (I didn't want to, though!)

Mom: You also had an exquisite writing experience: professional, elite. You were exposed to professional writers and given a lot of direction and a lot of encouragement. And a New York Times-bestselling author on faculty. 

Dad: Even though you could have lived out your college story anywhere, it was the right setting for you, for your story of growth and adventure. 

Q: What advice would you give to parents of students who are college-searching with their kids and looking at Hope?

Mom: You have to go see it. You can't describe it; you just have to experience the unique setting. It's impressive how the town really embraces the college. The merchants on 8th Street really let the campus permeate downtown. 

Dad: And yet it's not just catered to college students - it still has its own ambiance.

Mom: You just have to visit! It's very Dutch - it's so cute!

Thank you Mom and Dad for reminiscing with me!  I love you guys and am grateful for your support of my decision to attend Hope.

There's no spring break when you're a grown-up

Nope, it's true. There's no spring break for the working world.

Actually, there's just no spring, period - for anyone.

I mean, are you having spring? Have you smelled any daffodils lately? I can't remember the last time I saw a flower growing in the dirt. Man, it must have been - oh, hmm, last spring?

Yesterday was our first official day of spring in America. I'm sure it was spring somewhere - maybe Houston? Santa Fe? In Maple Grove, I scraped ice off my little Honda Civic and wore a down coat and BOOTS. Boots, people! Spring? Really?

It's Hope's spring break right now. I have friends who rented cabins in the Tennessee mountains. I have friends who went sunny places. I have friends who are working 50 hours a week at their tax internship. I have friends who are doing not much at all. 

I, as a graduate and adult, am working my usual 40 hours this week, and eating salads in mason jars for lunch (you should try it!) and drinking a lot of coffee and going to bed too late and taking walks on my ice-covered paths.

There's no spring break when you're a grown-up - and sometimes, there's just no spring. What are you going to do about it? 

One good response: count your blessings. I'm thankful...

• To be employed in a tough economy.
• To have a job I love and learn more at every single day, a job that keeps me busy and contributing in worthwhile ways.
• For my adorable fiancé (eeeek!!!!)
• For fresh coffee, and safety driving on slippery roads, and moms who make taco salad for dinner.
• I'm also thankful for thickly frosted cupcakes, like this one below that I ate at a Jewish bakery a week ago. The bakery was called Yum. I'm not kidding.

The cupcake on the left - mine. The cupcake on the right - my sister's. It had marshmallow filling. Oh, yes, it did. 

My sister posted a video of a slam poet this week on my Facebook wall. I love poetry, but I haven't heard much slam poetry. This guy's good - and his poem is all about shaking the dust. Getting out of the rut. Having hope when the hope is hard to be had.

He's kind of a little breath of spring. He even makes a reference to the winter that never seems to turn into spring - hey! Hey, that's me! Hey!

If you're having the spring break blues, no fear. Spring always comes.

Count your blessings (for real) and take a deep breath, and imagine daffodils.