by Leah Darnell, Photo Editor
Community college, two words that made a difference in my life. Once I graduated high school, I got asked the typical questions from family and friends, “What’s next?” “What are you going to study?” I honestly I had no clue, I just knew I wanted to study something related to newspaper and broadcasting since I did it for three years in high school.
I found myself looking at other school options after being accepted to Cowley County Community College and Butler Community College, then sitting down with my older sister and talking through it, then ultimately telling my parents about my decision to go to Cowley.
For those who don’t know me, I am from Kansas and I have never moved in my life, so going to college was my first time leaving my comfort zone of home and moving 45 minutes away to Arkansas City. I ended up studying mass communications and becoming a part of The Cowley Press (Newspaper).
I was a reporter for Cowley College News in addition to running the game camera for the Cowley Sports Network. Cowley is one of the few community colleges in the state of Kansas that has the capability to live stream all of the home games and matches.
In addition to gaining real life experiences in and out of the classroom, I had the opportunity to travel to different conferences to hear from professionals in the field.
My freshman year, I had the chance to travel to Paris, France with Media Club and attend a conference at the University of Paris. My sophomore year, I traveled just with the mass communication department and experienced New York City.
Community college is one place I didn’t find myself going, but the experiences I had while I was at Cowley helped me be the person and the reporter I am at Northwestern and today. I enjoyed every single minute of it, because of the atmosphere and especially the people who made this experience worth it. Cowley is only a two year college so, once I graduated, it was time to find another college and make the transition.
I found myself looking at schools again and I stumbled across Northwestern Oklahoma State University. I came to the school, did a tour and met people within the communications department and I have enjoyed the school and the individuals I have met thus far.
I just want to give a shout out to my parents, my former advisor, Meg Smith, my friends I met at Cowley that have transferred and those who will be graduating this next year, everyone I have met so far here at Northwestern and most importantly, God. Without all of these individuals, plus many more, I wouldn’t be where I am today.