Touring colleges terrified me. I thought I knew exactly what I wanted, where I wanted to go, and that would be that. Simple. But suddenly, I was faced with another big decision—was I ready to end my athletic career after high school?
When I first started seriously thinking about college, I still hoped to play volleyball at a Division III school. I was visiting campuses as big as the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities, and as small as Crown College (which, let’s be honest, most people haven’t heard of). The smaller schools gave me a chance to chase my athletic dreams, but in the end, I realized my future and my education needed to come first.
I toured a lot of schools, mainly nearby schools that had in-state tuition, or good scholarships that I could receive. Paying for college on my own meant I had to be practical. As much as I dreamed of the University of Florida, I knew that wasn’t in the cards.
Then came UW-Green Bay.
My dad scheduled a tour for us, and I wasn’t thrilled about it. I had my heart set on Northern Michigan University (NMU). But I agreed to attend a Preview Day at UW-Green Bay in April of 2022. I went on a tour, learned about the real costs of college, got help understanding the FAFSA form, and even had a personalized visit with Dr. Merkel to check out the Human Biology labs. At the time, NMU was still my top pick—but I started to realize just how strong UW-Green Bay’s Human Biology program was (the personal bathrooms in the residence halls didn’t hurt either).
I went on the NMU tour that summer. I loved it there. They also had personal bathrooms, a hockey team (one of my favorite sports to watch), competitive Division II athletics, and no one I knew from high school was even looking at NMU. So, I applied for early admission to both UWGB and NMU. Those were my top two schools, but I also applied to UW-Stevens Point, and UW- Eau Claire as backups. I got into NMU first and received a scholarship that would bring the cost down below in-state tuition. Then I got an acceptance letter from both of my backup schools, and lastly, UWGB. I actually missed the call from UWGB Admissions, but they left a voicemail telling me I got in—and I’ve kept that voicemail ever since.
I was torn. My family was super supportive, helping me weigh the pros and cons of each option. Then, in November of 2022, NMU got hit with 10 inches of snow. That was all it took—I decided maybe going that far north wasn’t for me. I committed to UWGB a few hours south instead. (Even though I still don’t love the cold, the tunnel system helps. And goat yoga in May is pretty fun.)
Being a first-generation college student can feel overwhelming, but UWGB has so many tools and resources that make it easier. The Human Biology department even offers a class that focuses on building a four-year plan and meeting people who are currently in multiple different aspects of the medical field. UWGB also offers job fairs, which helped me find my job as a Rehab Aid at the Green Bay Rehabilitation Hospital. At UWGB I have yet to find someone that doesn’t want to help me and my education, and going to a smaller school with smaller classes helps with this. So, I guess in the end, the tour I didn’t want to go on ended up being one of the best decisions my dad has made for me.
Megan is a second-year student studying Human Biology with an emphasis in exercise science. She grew up in Sun Prairie, WI and is a first-generation student. She has been working on campus at the Athletics Ticketing office as an assistant and as a Social Media Ambassador. After finishing her bachelor’s degree at UWGB, she hopes to continue school at UWGB to receive her Master of Athletic Training degree. Megan hopes to be an athletic trainer that makes an impact on many athletes’ lives.