Senior class chooses southern education

For any high school senior, choosing where to further one’s education can be a nerve-wracking and life-changing decision. There are several deciding factors that contribute to a student’s final choice on where he will spend the next four years of his life. Tuition, location, school size and distance from home are just a few factors to consider when choosing a desired college or university. Though some students may choose to remain relatively close to home, a popular trend among this year’s senior class is to head south.

 

Logan Derbes, University of Alabama – Tuscaloosa, Alabama

“I chose to go south for a lot of reasons. Of course, one of the reasons is because it is warm and sunny almost year round. I liked the atmosphere in the South. It’s calm, slow living, especially in Alabama. It’s not as crazy busy all of the time, and I loved that. I also really liked the food. They don’t kid around when they say it’s soul food. I’m also really looking forward to football. The Southeastern Conference is huge down south; they treat game day just like a holiday. I can’t wait to experience it.”

 

Lucy Murray, Tulane University – New Orleans, Louisiana

“I chose to go south for college specifically to go to New Orleans. I went to New Orleans for the first time when I was in sixth grade, and since then I’ve known I wanted to live there. Going to college at Tulane is the perfect opportunity to do that. Tulane is everything that I want in a school, including location, medium size, choice of majors, extracurriculars, job placement and more.”

 

Michael DeColli, Methodist University – Fayetteville, North Carolina

“What made me want to go down south for college is that I want to pursue a career in golf. I am going to Methodist University, which has one of the best golf programs in the country. I am majoring in accounting with a concentration in the PGA Professional Golf Course Management program.”

 

Kasie Shaw, University of South Carolina – Columbia, South Carolina

“I want to go south for college because I love the warm weather. I want to also get out of my comfort zone and branch out, and moving far away is a good way to do that. Also, moving to a different environment with all new people will teach me new things and help me become more independent.”

 

Becky Staller, Stevenson University – Owings Mills, Maryland

“I want to live in Washington, D.C., when I’m older, so I looked at schools in Maryland and Virginia. I visited Stevenson and fell in love with the campus and the area. I like the southern values, and the weather is so much nicer there.”