ECU: A Home Away From Home

With the holidays approaching, I have been thinking a lot about home. I started to realize that home, for me, has developed a different meaning within my past four years at ECU. I never imaged that this campus, that was once so foreign to me, would start to feel like my home away from home.

I came to ECU four years ago as a freshman from New Jersey who knew absolutely no one. I took a huge risk and leaped outside my comfort zone to come to school 472 miles away from the only home I’ve ever known. However, from the first day I arrived at ECU, I knew there was something special about this place. The campus was inviting, the students were more than welcoming, and the school pride was, and still is, unmatchable. Of course, it wasn’t always easy 8 hours away from home. I struggled with the culture shock of being somewhere new and I missed my friends and family, but I tried my best to put myself out there and make the most of my experience. I didn’t realize it at the time, but over the next four years, ECU would shape me into the best version of myself.

Leaving home teaches you so much about yourself and pushes you to be independent and grow. This school has allowed me to meet and bond with others on a level that I didn’t know was possible. Something about being surrounded by other students your age, all feeling the same exciting, yet terrifying, emotions leads to some of the best relationships you’ll ever have. My friends here at ECU have become my second family and I know other students here feel that exact same way.

The longer I am here, the more I find myself staying here for holidays, birthdays and summer breaks. Honestly, I tend to feel homesick when I’m anywhere outside of Greenville. ECU has become so much more to me than just where I go to school. It’s the place where I’ve been given incredible opportunities to grow by involved professors and faculty. It’s the place that showed me my passion for Communications and shined light on strengths I never knew I had. It’s the place where I met my best friends and have made some of the best memories of my life.

I never would’ve guessed four years ago that ECU would eventually hold such a big place in my heart. This school is so special that I can confidently say I don’t think I would’ve had this experience anywhere else. You can feel the Pirate pride everywhere you go for a reason: once you’re here, you’ll never want to leave. Whether you’re in-state, out-of-state, or down the street, ECU will easily become your home too.