Why I chose Siena

I had two choices graduating high school: go to school an hour away from home where most of my high school friends were going or attend a school that was a little further away where I knew few people. I chose to latter and chose to meet new people. Although it is easy to stay somewhere you feel comfortable, I knew that I could learn much more outside of that familiar place.

Growing up three years behind my brother and going through the same schools that he did had an affect on me. Since my brother was such a friendly and respectful kid, he kind of broke in the teachers for me. It seems like they expected me to be a good kid and student like he was, so I never really had to fully prove myself. We also played a lot of the same sports and were involved in the same kinds of activities. When it came to choosing a college, I was naturally inclined to accept the same college that he attended. Siena was this college. I came to a fork in the road: I could either go to school where my brother was and hope to continue this trend, or go somewhere different -- someplace where no one had even heard of my older brother.

This kind of led me to a dilemma. Was I really going to school somewhere outside of my comfort zone? I chose Siena not just for this reason but it did play a big role and it was a source of tension for sometime.