Writing an article about my life and experience at New England College is kind of a full-circle moment for me. One of my favorite quotes by William Shakespeare is “Life is like a stage, and you only get one performance, so make it a good one.”
I worked a dead-end, third-shift job back home in Texas, and about five months in, I decided it was time for a change, so I started researching colleges. I had dropped out of a junior college, so I made a commitment to myself and my parents, no matter where I go, I would leave with a degree.
I came across this little school in this one-horse town called New England College in Henniker, NH. People told me I was crazy wanting to go to college 1,700 miles away from my hometown. Even my mom tried convincing me to stay closer, but once I visited, I felt at home. As a person from a small town, I fell in love with the fact that everyone here is here to help you succeed, something I didn’t have at my last institution. I was also a big fan of being able to play a college sport, not a lot of people can say they did.
I was supposed to graduate in 2028, but with some hard work, I am proud to say I graduated with the class of 2026.
I was very fortunate to get a lot done in a short amount of time: starring in a few theater productions, playing football, and being part of NEC-TV, the school’s first news station. I also had the privilege of working for production team at New Hampshire’s minor league baseball team, the Fisher Cats. I met and worked with a lot of unique individuals who all share the same passion for baseball. Learning technical production through NEC-TV and the Fisher Cats was where I found my career path in technical production.
In the fall, I’ll finish my credits studying abroad in Ireland.
All these blessings didn’t come easy and there were some struggles the first month or so. I had a hard time adjusting to a new time zone, I was homesick and missing family, I had two different roommates, but in the end, I successfully walked the stage and have another amazing opportunity to travel even farther. Ireland, this crazy Texan is coming, so watch out.
