WU Words about me

I come from a small town in Kansas, the first city of Kansas in fact, called Leavenworth. It isn’t a town small enough that everyone can say that they know each other but it is small enough to do the job or boringness. I love where I come from though, small but still close to either part of Kansas City. Once I graduated high school I did not become a Bod, in fact I became a Hornet at Emporia State University. This decision was solely on the fact that I wanted to go into art therapy and ESU was the only school that offered the program at the time. Once I moved to Emporia, that is where the fun began. When I say, “fun” I use that term loosely.

As soon as I moved to Emporia I joined the sorority Sigma Sigma Sigma. I was the only one out of my group of friends that had left for college and, these girls seemed to be a group that I could relate too at the time. I also had friends outside of the sorority, one girl I met in one of my sculpture classes. I spent the night with her in her dorm because my roommate at the time kept inviting boys over for the night without my permission. In the middle of the night we were awoken by an opossum in the room eating her cheese-its. After police and safety arrived and took care of the rodent, my friends roommate believed me to be a demon who brought the creature into their midst. She later threw holy water onto me in hopes that Christ would compel me. Who knew that Catholics carried Holy water? Little did she know was that I was Catholic too.

Later that semester I started dating a guy of Muslim descent. He and I talked about becoming physical in our relationship but, before any of that happened he had to say a prayer of some sort in front of me. It made absolutely no sense to me but I know nothing of his religion so I did not question him. All he asked was that I say Amen afterwords and being naïve I did. I later found out through a friend that he said a prayer of marriage and that he and I were “Married”. I threw the biggest fit afterwards and freaked out. None of it made sense, and it sounded absolutely crazy. My friend said all I had to do afterwards was break up with him and we were, “divorced”. Well that was a no brainer break up.

After some time had passed I found myself in the local Emporia Dillon’s grocery store. An older lady behind me in the baking aisle had a coughing attack and dropped dead in front of me. I had no clue as to what happened other than she died in front of me. So I booked it out of there and went home. Later that week I saw her obituary online and I decided to show up to pay my respects. Her named turned out to be Doris and she had recently become a widow. While I was at her wake I was approached by a younger gentleman who asked how I knew her. I awkwardly had to tell him that she died in front of me in the grocery store. Apparently people were looking for me to ask questions but had no clue who I was so they had no way of contacting me. He proceeded to tell me that his name was Michael and his grandparents took him in after his parents died in the bombing of 9/11. If my week hadn’t gotten any weirder, it just did then. I received Christmas cards from him the next two years, my family thinks that he was interested in knowing me more. That could have been the case but I was not interested in telling my future kids that I met their father because I witnessed their great grandmother die.

Then summer came and I was through my first year of college. I had more weird experiences but nothing that topped those. When I hit the beginning of my sophomore year I met a guy and we quickly were attached to the hip. Then quickly after that a proposal came and we were engaged. Everything happened so quickly which should have been such a big red flag because he had no problem moving quickly with three other girls when I wasn’t around. After such heart break I lasted one more semester at Emporia and in my sorority. My grades were slipping and I was losing my mind. I finally made the courageous decision to go home for a semester and go to the community college. I brought up my grades and earned an associate’s degree in the process.

I never in my wildest dreams thought I would end up at Washburn, but while I was losing my mind in Emporia I applied to Washburn on a whim. I told myself if I was accepted then I was going. I was doing anything to get out of that wretched town. Two weeks later I was accepted and packed my stuff to move home. I do say however, applying to Washburn was one of the best decisions that I have ever made. When I moved to Topeka, I had an open mind and felt like I was starting over. I was closer to home and friends. I even made great new friends in my classes and I blended in well with the school. People are so much happier here and more helpful. If I had done anything different, I would have chosen to come here first. I feel healthier here and I am very happy. After my wild journey in Emporia, this is how I became an Ichabod, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.