-: So what about Temple?
Why did I even come here?
I came here because I wanted to major in foreign languages
and I wanted to have a college experience
in a more urban environment.
Temple has a great language department.
It's in the heart of North Philadelphia,
which is an urban environment.
I would have the flexibility to major in
something that interested me, but also marry around
those core requirements related to my major
other things that would help round out my background,
to give me further optionality when I graduated.
The things that I learned, just going through
a tough curriculum and a small department
with very, very demanding professors,
was how to dig deep.
How to be resilient.
How to aspire for excellence.
How to dream big.
I studied abroad.
I did the research for my senior paper while I was
studying abroad at the University of Puerto Rico,
Rio Piedras.
So there was a push for you to be better,
but in a way that was nurturing but not coddling.
I was in an urban environment.
That was important for me to be.
There was housing here for me to live.
I was an out of state student.
So for me, it was a combination of financial,
strong curriculum, professors who cared enough
to give you a swift kick when you needed one,
and ultimately receiving the recognition and reward
that goes along with hard work.
I think Temple provided those things to me.