When I arrived at Teague Hall on Auburn University’s campus in the fall of 2002, I knew that my life was about to change, but little did I know how much. That day I met a girl from Charleston, SC, who would be living across the hall and we immediately bonded over my extensive shoe collection that I couldn’t leave home without! 15 years later she’s my best girl friend and is pictured on the left in this photo with me. That same month I would meet my roommate and suite mates who are still my friends today. I also met my husband that month, though neither of us suspected at the time that we’d end up getting married in Auburn 7 years later!
While my time at Auburn taught me a lot of things in the classroom, it’s the lessons I learned outside of the classroom that I carry with me today. I learned how to truly live the Auburn Creed by the examples of faculty, staff, and fellow students around me. I learned to stand up for myself and for what’s right, to invest my time improving the lives of others when given the opportunity, to take pride in my country, my community, and my university, and to work hard with anything and everything I do.
All these lessons pale in comparison to the lifelong friendships forged along the way. My husband was a part of the Auburn Wrestling Club and I was a Mat Cat and the friends we made through those groups are like family. Between hours of practice, traveling to matches and tournaments, working the parking lot for football games for Mr. Keith Bagwell, and picking up trash after basketball games, gymnastics meets, and graduations, we were often together 7 days a week. As we’ve moved away from Auburn, settled down, and started to raise our own families our friendships have evolved but we strive to remain close.
I’m so grateful to the Auburn Family, faculty, staff, and students that helped mold me into the Auburn Woman I am today and to Auburn University for bringing my husband and so many special friends into my life during my years there.
War Eagle!