By Olivia Rutzen 

Imagine this scenario: You apply to four different colleges. Then, you get accepted to all of the offers except for admission to your dream school. Now you’re left with three colleges and three directions in front of you. You have one choice, but it will completely change the course of your life.

So, what did I decide on? 

Middle Tennessee State University.

Nothing else seemed like a choice to me. From the first virtual visit to MTSU, something clicked inside of me. I’d never been on its campus in person before, and I didn’t know what the buildings looked like, what the campus atmosphere would be like, or what my future would be at this university. And yet I just knew that this was it.

I decided on MTSU.

By August 2024, move-in day came around.

While moving into the dorms and realizing that my college days were finally beginning, I couldn’t help but think how unexpected this whole process was. I never expected actually to end up in college. My vision of my future was very different from what happened because for a long time I planned on being a paramedic.

College soon became not only an institution where I studied and will be getting a degree but also a place where I started to realize who I am and what I want to achieve in the future.

I am now a junior pursuing a journalism degree with a specialization in sports media and a minor in mass communication. Somehow, during my studies, I developed a love of storytelling, social media, sports and athletics, and how sports unite people. 

A little bit after coming to MTSU, I got an interview for the Blue Raider Athletic Association. This unexpected chance allowed me to acquire valuable experience in sports, social media, and communications and be a member of the Blue Raider family.

Currently, I am part of the BRAA, the MTSU student social media team, the MTSU Alumni Association, where I serve as an ambassador, and the National Society of Leadership and Success, where I hold a position on the executive board.

Thinking of all the opportunities that I have received here, there is one thing I come up with every time: I wonder whether I would receive all of these opportunities at another university.

Maybe I would. Or maybe I wouldn’t.

But what I do know is that MTSU provided me with the chance to get involved, discover myself, make friends who helped change my life, and find out what I want to do in my future.

Of course, I not only gained all of these chances, but among the greatest aspects of my college experience have been the friendships I have made at the university.

In my three years here, from freshman to junior year, I have gotten to know people who were first my classmate, my coworker, or even just a random stranger on campus but eventually have become people who I cannot imagine my college experience without.

We have had natural friendships, some surprising ones, and also people who have been there through various stages of my college life. Together, we have experienced the joy of being freshmen to the struggles of being sophomores, and now we are realizing that being juniors means we are close to the end of our college experience. 

All these friendships I have made at MTSU have made it more than a university for me.

As for the person who came into MTSU back in August of 2024, I do not believe that she would recognize the person I have become since then.

The thing is that at that time I was uncertain as to what kind of journey college life would present.

Now, I am a junior with experience, leadership roles, friendships, and a career path that I did not expect to pursue back then.

When it comes to thinking about the future, I do not see myself working as a paramedic anymore.

On the contrary, I see myself working within the world of sports.

I aim to establish a career in the area of social media or public relations for any sports-related organization, specifically the Savannah Bananas or even a Formula One racing team.

It is one that I did not foresee during the college application process. My route has taken an unexpected turn. But for the better. 

I had not set foot on any university campus before choosing MTSU. I did not have an idea how my life would pan out. And I was not sure whether or not going to university was what I should do.

However, something in me told me to accept MTSU as my new home. I decided to go to MTSU, and somewhere between move-in day and the events after, I started to find myself. The one college decision has turned out to be just the start of an unforeseen journey.

I thought I was choosing a college. Instead, I found a path, a community, lifelong friends, opportunities that were far beyond my expectations, and an exciting future.

Now, as a junior, I can reflect on my freshman self and see how much she has changed since then.

I came to MTSU with no idea about what was coming next. I found opportunities. I found friendships. I found my passion. And most of all, I found myself.

I might not know exactly where this journey will lead me once I graduate, but I am very thankful for the place that gave me a chance to start it.

MTSU was not the school that I thought I would attend, but MTSU turned out to be the school of my life-changing experiences. 

Writer Olivia Rutzen is part of MTSU’s Student Voice team. She is a junior majoring in journalism with a specialization in sports media and a minor in mass communication.