In the early stages of writing this paper I noticed many tour groups filled with high school juniors and seniors with their parents looking around campus to see if Marist is the school they are looking for. Scanning the crowds, I made eye contact with one particular mother, I smiled at her and she smiled back with a look of happiness, and excitement. She was on the long journey of finding the perfect school for her child. In that moment, I automatically thought back to the days as a jittery and excited high schooler diving head first into the college process. Not too long ago I was in their shoes, forever hopeful and ready to become a college freshman. Not knowing what was to happen with the idea of having so many schools to choose from in the end. I looked at each of these kids faces as they walked by clueless as to what the future had in store for them. They have yet to know how to navigate through the common app, or the feeling of getting their acceptance letters in the mail, the anxiety of narrowing down their top schools, the awkward yet fun feeling of orientation, the craziness of move in day and having to say goodbye to family, friends and pets, feeling homesick and …show more content…
Focusing on the introduction of the book, the author showcases the well-know little red house as the very first academic establishment that made a huge difference within the educational school system. It not only created a progression of education itself, but created a sense of community, family and home. In a similar way Marist and college in general, creates a huge sense of community and home since students are living there, building relationships, and learning in the process. At Marist it’s clear that there is a huge sense of community within the student body, and in relation with the faculty. It is something that the school stresses the importance of, and it shows to outside viewers such as tour groups filled with potential Marist students. Thinking back to the specific requirements that I wanted in a school, community was not one of them. Small classes, a small to medium school, close proximity to home and to a city where internships were easily accessible, are just a few examples of what truly mattered to me during my search. Coming across Marist I realized that community needed to be added to that list, it is incredibly important to be at school where people are involved, socially and academically motivated, and where students can be themselves in a comfortable and safe environment. “Nothing symbolizes