By Bethany Schultz
When I graduated high school, I was certain of two things: I wanted to go to college, and I didn’t want to go to a Christian one. So, I followed my best friend to a large state university, thinking I would have a blast. I was wrong.
I ended up having a miserable first-year experience. I got lost in a sea of thousands of first-time freshmen and had no clear direction for why I was attending college. It wasn’t one big issue that led me to drop out, it was the accumulation of small challenges that made me feel invisible and unsupported.
First, I wasn’t prepared for orientation. I didn’t understand my financial aid package or my bill, which led me to take on unnecessary debt. I had no idea what an advisor was or how they could help me. My spring registration meeting was cancelled three times because I kept getting shuffled around to different advisors. By the time I finally registered, I was left with whatever classes were still open—some of which did not fit my degree plan. I was embarrassed, frustrated and defeated (and a little teary when I finally did meet with an advisor).
Academically, things weren’t much better. While I found my classes interesting, I was disengaged. Almost all my courses had 200+ students packed into large, impersonal lecture halls. My largest class, college algebra, had 500 students. None of my courses were taught by full-time professors. Instead, they were led by master’s-level graduate students who lacked experience and passion for teaching introductory courses. It was difficult to get help; I couldn’t even find their office for office hours as they were often in a maze of unassigned cubicles in random basements across campus. I felt like I was drowning. By the end of the year, I had failed half of my classes and convinced myself that I just wasn’t cut out for college.
After taking two years off, my parents were moving to Idaho, and I decided to give college another shot. This time, I wanted a different experience. I searched for Christian colleges in Idaho, and Northwest Nazarene University was the one and only that appeared. I decided to visit. It was a dreary January day over Christmas break, but I was met with warmth and encouragement. Unlike my first college experience, I didn’t feel like a number—I felt seen.
From the start, NNU was a stark contrast to my first-year experience. I had one-on-one time with financial aid and student accounts to discuss my bill and available aid. They knew my name, my situation and that I was paying for school on my own. Paying my bill each semester was challenging, but they proactively reached out to check on me, helping me figure out how to pay for school with as minimal stress as possible.
I met my advisor during my campus tour—he even came in over Christmas break to meet me. He remained my advisor throughout my entire time at NNU. He helped me make sure I still graduated within 3 years, making up for my failed credits freshman year with independent studies or making sure I took classes that counted for multiple requirements. I never had to scramble to find help during registration, stress about my course plan or feel lost in the process. There were no tears this time around. 
All my classes were taught by full-time professors—experienced, predominately terminal degree trained educators and professionals who loved teaching in a small campus environment, even in introductory courses. Unlike my state school experience, where I was just another nameless face in the crowd, my professors at NNU knew me by name—even as a transfer student. Today, many of them are my colleagues, and they can still recall details about me from when I was in their classes over a decade ago.
NNU provided an environment where I could thrive academically for the first time in my educational experience. Now, working in academia, most assume I was a strong student. Few would guess that I was a below-average high schooler who flunked out of college in my first year. NNU gave me a fresh start. My professors saw my potential, invested in me and challenged me to rise to it. Their belief in me motivated me to succeed.
I don’t think my state school experience was unique, but my NNU experience was distinct. At my first university, I felt lost and overlooked. At NNU, I was known, supported and empowered to succeed. That difference changed the course of my life. Ultimately, leading me to stay at my alma mater and pursue a career path where I could reinvest back into the place who made me who I am.