MY WAU EXPERIENCE...

By Shawn McGuire, ‘23

Some of the most growth and development an individual experiences occurs between their late teens and early twenties. In such a short amount of time, there is an expectation for you to make some of the most important decisions of your life while still figuring out who you are as a person. For me, those crucial years of my life were spent at Washington Adventist University. Coming to the university as an eighteenyear-old, I felt like I had an eternity of experiences awaiting me in my college years. Now, almost five years later, I am a graduate of the same university I started at, and I am still amazed at how fast time has gone by. Taking the time to write about this has given me the time to truly reflect on my whole college experience and all of the opportunities that I have been blessed with because of it.

My college experience at WAU began before freshman orientation and the first semester in the summer of 2018. The reason for this is the most authentic answer I can give when someone asks me why I chose to attend WAU: the soccer program. I was able to obtain an athletic scholarship to play for a legitimate program at an Adventist university, just outside the nation’s capital. As someone who was still very inexperienced in the sport but had the desire to continue to pursue improvement in the game, I could not pass up the opportunity. However, little did I know, my experience at the university would be described as much more than a college athlete.

Soccer is what pulled me in and kept me at the university for five years, including a year at home due to COVID-19. The soccer program gave me a sense of purpose and belonging at my now alma mater. I gave everything I had to the program despite having moments where I wanted to give up and move home. But sometimes, meaningful experiences in life will come with adversity, almost in the form of tests, literally and figuratively. The hardships of being away from home and trying to pave my own path are what pushed me to continue to grow, learn and develop as a human being.

As I continued to persevere through some of the hardships that come with growing up, I was able to have an experience at a small Adventist university that God knew I needed. My alma mater is by no means perfect. Nonetheless, as I have heard and begun to say myself, “No matter where you go, your experience depends on your outlook and what you make of it.” Thankfully, I was able to encounter amazing people while attending the university. The faculty and student relationships I made are things that I would not trade. Being on the soccer team gave me lifelong friends but also helped me branch out and improve my social skills to meet even more people outside the program. The people I met inspired me to develop a stronger care for the university, which motivated me to become more involved. In my final year, I had the opportunity to serve as President of the Student Association. This opportunity was both challenging and rewarding. I was able to contribute to a team focused on student life at the university. Through the experience, my love and passion for WAU continued to grow. I developed more meaningful relationships, experiences and responsibilities that I would not have had anywhere else.

WAU was the best place I could have grown for the past five years. I was able to learn and gain experience through student positions and internships that led to immediate employment following graduation. I was able to encounter different cultures in the diverse area the university is located in. I was able to fulfill my dreams and goals of being a college athlete and work towards my athletic goals while developing lifelong friendships. On top of all of that, I was able to grow spiritually and meet faculty members who went above and beyond to ensure that I had everything I needed physically, mentally and emotionally. My family has always meant everything to me, and where they are is where home is. However, there is no other place I would rather call my second home and my second family than my alma mater, Washington Adventist University.