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When she was a prospective student researching colleges, Maggie Pavao ‘25 saw her undergraduate career as an opportunity for intentional change, both academically and personally. Originally from Belmont, California, she decided on ��Ӱֱ�� as a “polar opposite” to her high school. She shares, “I went to a public co-ed big high school on the West Coast and ��Ӱֱ�� being a small women's college private on the East Coast was pretty much as far away as I could get from that.” Choosing to attend a college three thousand miles from home meant that Maggie was seeking an environment built to support that kind of transition. She felt certain that ��Ӱֱ�� would offer, in her words, “a small enough community where I would feel supported and free to change up my education.” Her decision was solidified upon touring the campus she describes as “just so beautiful,” and Maggie set out on her ��Ӱֱ�� journey. 

While Maggie was eager to begin her first year on campus, she was also nervous about the distance, so she attached herself to the excitement of the journey. In preparation for the big move, she shares, “I knew that I tended to be a homesick person, so making that six-hour flight was a little bit scary at first, but honestly, it felt more of an adventure than anything.” It was ��Ӱֱ��’s immersive Orientation Week that welcomed Maggie into an environment that began to feel increasingly like a second home. As a self-described “introvert,” Maggie wasn’t sure she would find friends immediately. She shares, “The first week on campus was where I met my two best friends on campus.” The structure of student life on campus cultivates a close-knit community with inclusive and easy interactions. Maggie shares how this made her transition easier: “the way that the dorms are set up to include all class years and the hall hangouts, really allow you to meet people easily.”  Even her roommates seemed to be thoughtfully chosen with location in mind, “I was in a double with someone who's actually also from the Bay Area… so we could bond over things from California, and we could take flights back together.” Located just a twenty-minute train ride outside of Philadelphia, Maggie found returning home surprisingly simple: “It also helps to be close to a big city because the transportation to get back home is very easy.” 

Moving rapidly past the initial fear of attending college far from home allowed Maggie to set her sights on other forms of independence. Her personal growth began to include more than just the move, “Initially, I thought it was going to be that living on the East Coast was the main form of independence, but it's been more about being able to get meals by yourself or advocating for yourself academically, and just generally being able to do things on your own.” As she moved through her first year, moments continued to present themselves to her as collected pieces of her new home-away-from-home. One tradition in particular she shares was the embodiment of her transition to campus. She shares, “It was a Grand May Day, so it only happens every four years, and it had been a really dark and gloomy time and my first winter on the East Coast. The week of May Day, it had become really sunny and it was the perfect time between the end of classes and the beginning of finals. I remember sitting on Merion Green, in the sun, with my friends and everything just felt really relaxing and peaceful and I really just felt at home.”  

For Maggie, college has indeed been an opportunity for ample growth, and ��Ӱֱ�� has afforded her the ability to explore beyond her initial expectations. She shares, "I never thought of myself as a really independent person, but I feel like college really allows you to explore that.” While consistently seeking to develop new academic and personal skills, she has been surprised with how seamless the transition to college has been so far, “I’ve been surprised by how much I’ve grown in multiple ways, whether that’s choosing a major or making new friends.”

What advice would she give students attending ��Ӱֱ�� far from home? “Take things at your own pace! Trust your priorities.”