“Have conversations with people even if you are struggling. Talk to those around you to get advice about how to navigate any obstacle in your way. 

I’m a first-generation college student, and that was nerve wracking coming into college because I didn’t have anyone to lean on, so I wanted to find people who I knew I could go to. At Morningside, I found that through so many people. Now, I’m a leader on campus as an RA, on WOO Crew, Connie Wimer Women’s Leadership, and in the admissions office.

Another thing that I benefited from was coming in as X Path. I was able to do job shadowing with athletic training, which led me to my path as a Biology major with a minor in sports management and athletic training. I am continuing working as an athletic trainer this coming year. 

I did all the sports you could think of since I was from a small town, but I knew I wanted to play softball in college. In softball, there are not only physical obstacles, but mental ones too. At some points in my softball career, it got to the point where I was too competitive and I wasn’t having fun. At Morningside, Coach Brooke taught me that if you just play, and don’t push pressure on yourself to be perfect, you will push through and get even better and enjoy yourself. 

All the home softball games so far are my best memories. I love that softball has its home field in the middle of campus, and then everyone on campus shows up. During practices, we see people watching us and stopping by. It reminds you that you have so much support on campus because people feel that pride and support for Morningside.

When I visited Morningside, it was different from any other visit I had been on. I had conversations about my life in general, not just about softball. I felt like a whole person and I really liked it. Morningside was number one after my first visit, but I was locked…I wanted to bring my whole family here because I was excited. I committed my second visit here because it just felt like home. I like that Sioux City is bigger, and I love that Morningside within it is a small town inside it.

Find that close group of people who will be your friends for a lifetime, having those connections makes it 10x easier to find your groove at Morningside. Lean into that community feel because that’s what makes it special here.”