Wells College is the home I wouldn’t expect to find in the middle of nowhere. Wells is right on Cayuga Lake in Aurora, New York. It was originally an all-girls school when it was founded in 1868, and became the co-ed family that I’m so proud to be part of today in 2005. ‘Sister Wells’, ‘Wells family’, or whatever you want to call it, is a community that will nurture you in change and nourish your growth into your best self.nLife at Wells is very community-based, so much that even with extreme social anxiety, I’ve always felt comfortable here. I remember getting that “home” vibe as a prospective student when everyone who walked by me smiled and said hello while I was touring the campus.
Something about the environment at Wells just felt right; I felt a sense of belonging that I haven’t quite felt before. As a current student, I feel the love and community daily. Not only do I have my group of close friends, but I truly feel connected to everyone at Wells. A lot of this closeness comes from the fact that there are only roughly five-hundred students here, but a lot of it comes from the focus on sisterhood as well. We’ve all got each other’s backs in some way or another; whether it be support for a cause you’re working toward, or someone you don’t even know too well being there when you need it, the community at Wells will always support you.
I really feel a sense of belonging here. Wells has something to offer for everybody; through the variety of extra-curriculars available, I have really been able to explore myself and figure out what I’m most passionate about. But I’ve also found a sense of belonging in a true sense of the word through an environment that has been nourishing and vital in the process of growing into myself. Like any freshman, I was lost entering college, understanding that it was a “fresh start” and that this would be the time to find myself. Wells couldn’t be a better place for my growth; in struggling to grasp the mere concept of identity, and in trying to move on from trauma, all while finding myself, the community at Wells has done nothing but uplift and support me.
So thank you, Wells, for being the place where I can gracefully grow into myself. I couldn’t ask for a better community to find myself in. After all, what’s more supportive than family?
Here’s to Sister Wells, you’ve taken me so far in just one year, and I can’t wait to see what you have to offer me.