Hi, all! My name is Makayla and I’m a first year. I’d like to talk a little bit about the biggest reservation I had when considering the move to Memphis. Coming from a small town of less than 4,000 people, I thought I was about to become a small fish in a big pond. As someone who likes to be involved in the community, how could I possibly make a difference in a town of over 652,000?
SCO White Coat Ceremony
Now that I’ve been in Memphis for over a year, I can say with confidence that this town will let you make of it whatever you want. If you want a big city, there are millions of things to do here. I probably won’t even get to do all the things I want to get done during my time here (but I sure will try). If you want a small town, you can find some truly amazing, welcoming small communities to get involved in.
For example, I found a group of friends I never expected to have at the local dog park. Once moving here, after finally having a house with a backyard, my husband and I finally got a dog. In doing this, I was becoming a part of a community I didn’t expect to find. Now I get to hang out with friends that also have dogs and have come to know a lot of great people just by hanging out at the dog park.
My dog, Ace
Not only does Memphis welcome you with open arms, so does SCO. I have made some life-long friends and joined groups that I know will make an impact. In undergrad, I didn’t feel like I was part of anything meaningful my first year. At SCO, it’s so easy to find groups that interest you and become involved. I have never been made to feel like I was insignificant just because I was new to a group or didn’t really know what I wanted to be involved in. Everything at SCO is very low pressure. You can be super involved and make a huge difference, if that’s what you’re in to. If you’re more of a helper, and not so much a leader, that’s okay, too. SCO has something for everyone.
SCO Eyeball 2018
Overall, I couldn’t have picked a better school to attend. Memphis has become my home, and SCO has become my family.