Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion Top Questions

Being a student at Indiana Wesleyan University I have been extreamly blessed with an amazing group of friends as well as a great education. Being diagnosed with ADD I have a difficult time learning than most students. My professors and friends have helped me a lot over the years and I truly do value the support. I have worked very hard to get to the place that I am in my life and have gone through a lot in my life. The counseling Indiana Wesleyan offers has also helped me get through my dad passing away and many other struggles of having to deal with him growing up as an alocoholic. Paying for school myself I do appreciate the free counseling that IWU provides to the students. I am so blessed to have made it this year and being a student of Indiana Wesleyan has shaped me to be the hard working independent woman that I am today.

I have definitely grown stronger as a person in college. I am a lot more independent and am able to figure things out on my own. I value the community that my college offers. There are always people around willing to help someone in need. It is definitely a reoccuring things on campus. They are always pushing us to reach out to the community and do our part in the world. We have a theme at our campus to be a world changer. It should be our goal to want to go out into the world once we graduate and change the world. To make the world a better place. I greatly value my college for pushing me to do these things.

I have definitely learned that time management is a key to success, not only in college, but also life. In the busy and hectic schedule I had, I had to learn to manage my time for school, work, friends, and God. It was very tough, but really helped me to grow. I also learned that relationships are probably one of the most important things at college. Without friends, I would have gon crazy just sitting in my dorm all day doing nothing. Friends in college are what helped me to survive my first semester, and I think that everyone that goes to college should try to find a group of people that they can be around, just to help encourage and grow them.

My experiences at Indiana Wesleyan University have been imperative to the discovery of who I am and what I am meant to do. Entering in as a freshman, my goals were simple: get married, get a degree, live comfortably. This quickly changed as I began reflecting upon my skills and interests, and about the many needs in the rest of the world. Through the programs at IWU, such as Chapel, the Center for Life Calling and Leadership, the Mentoring Program, and many focus groups, I have discovered that I am called to “Business As Mission”—that is, I want to use what I learn in my Business major to help those less fortunate around the globe. Helping to create a student group called “IWU4BAM,” I successfully bridged the gap between my calling and my skills sets. Due to the impact of my experiences thus far at IWU, my life will be forever changed and I will have a far greater impact upon this world. Through this scholarship, I will be able to continue studying, learning, and being shaped by those at IWU, as well as being connected with people in my field to support outreach programs around the world.

I went to college hoping that I could find somewhere to get involved. I am extremely passionate about the issue of human trafficking, and in the first weeks of my freshman year, I met many others that felt the same. One thing led to another, and the mayor ended up blocking off the downtown for us. We held a community-wide human trafficking awareness event within Marion. Our goal was to love every person that we came into contact with in hopes that through that they would see the value that they have within them. We wanted everyone to walk away realizing the value in every human being- that no person deserves to be exploited, abused, etc. What have I gotten out of my college experience? Dreams that I never knew I had were fulfilled, not because of anything that I have done. I want to do this for the rest of my life- serving others with God's love.

Reflecting back on my high school days and realizing how life really is and the roads I decided to take, I would tell myself that there will be plenty of time for fun. That I could have so much more fun once I finish my degree and obtain a successful career. I would tell myself that even though the other options that were in front of me looked so appealing, enjoy being a college student and think of the future instead of moving out at the young age of 18, thinking you can make it on your own. Which I knew I could but it's been a struggle and continues to be. I would tell myself that if they are really your friends, they will continue to be your friends from any location across the country and they will support your decision to attend college just like they did. I would tell myself to stop worrying about what others think and actually put myself first, which means a better future for myself by finishing school.

In "1982" I was a senior in high school who knew everything , so I thought. I graduated high school and went on into a field that I really knew nothing about. I attended" Aristotle" dental college which now doesn't exist. I practiced dental assisting for some years off and on between family and babies. I changed careers after my second child and divorce, I went to work in a factory which payed more and had health insurance. After nine years of employment and another divorce and child. I turned to alcohol and drugs, I was with the wrong friends and for all the wrong reasons. I have been in and out of institional facilities. I don't know if I could give advice against all lifes lessons. I feel that I could have prepared my career better and possibly my life would be different. I am a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. I have been clean and sober now for 7 years. I have so much to offer those still institionalized and on the streets. I am currently working with the local drug counseling agency and probation department to help these still suffering. I would not be here now.

Life is right in front of you Jordan, embrace it. Enjoy your senior year to the fullest, do not let your anticipation for college ruin your last months of high school. As you make the transition from high school to college do not be intimidated, there is nothing you cannot accomplish if you put your mind to it. I am not saying that college is going to be easy without disappointments, but I am saying that if you apply yourself and actually do your homework and go to class, you will succeed. College is an opportunity for you to practice independence from mom and dad. The question is what will you do with that independence? Will you party it away and waste all the hard work you have done through high school, or will you devote yourself to success; growing intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. Do not get stressed about what college you should attend, because the college you choose does not dictate if you will have a good experience or not, You Do! You will get out of college what you put into it, get excited and know that college will be one of the best times of your life

When I was in high school all I knew about college was that I was going. I did not know much about the expenses or the expectations of college. I soon learned that college is expensive and require a lot of work. I would have described myself as a good student in high school, but in college it takes more work and concentration. The classes are harder and you must work and study in order to get a good grade. Every assignment and test and point counts for the grade. There is no room in college to be messing around or blowing off homework. But if you are focused you can still find plenty of time for fun and friends. College is a great experience. It forces you to grow and yet remain young and fun. Within college there is a strong support group there to keep you accountable and the professors here are there to help even with personal issues or stresses. College life is fun but the education and homework and study must be taken seriously.

The best advice I would give myself is to stay very natural about making decision for myself. Now I am able to remained focused, stay strong, and strive hard to maintain good grades. Become more well- rounded and gained more self-confidence that I knew I had before. Continue to change my outlook about accomplishing my goals and made me more confident to tackle new obstacles, whatever they may be. This journey continue to be my blessing and a reward as I continue my education. All the wonderful things I had learned that made me a unique and strong woman, I am today has held significant meaning in my life. Like, Have a very clear and speicfic personal goals, being a life long learner; my advice to myself is that it is always more to gain and learning never ends.