“I just wanted to tell you that this school is amazing, and you should totally come to Cedarville!” — a Cedarville student who was a total stranger to me when I was a prospective student.
I didn’t choose Cedarville; Cedarville chose me. Maybe that’s not entirely true, but the Lord certainly directed my steps here, despite my initial reluctance. And I’m sure glad He did!
A “Chance” Encounter
In the fall of my senior year of high school, I visited Cedarville. I had a friend who was a freshman here and other friends of mine from out of state were visiting, so why not tag along and have a fun time, right?
I spent a couple nights with my friend in Printy (true hospitality is sleeping on the floor of your tiny Printy room and letting your guest have the bed, by the way), watched the annual dorm flag football game “Gridiron,” and generally had a lovely time. I figured there wasn’t anything wrong with just hanging out with friends at Cedarville, even if I didn’t intend to go there at the time.
Enter: God (and a random Cedarville student).
I was walking with one of my friends who was also visiting Cedarville. We were traipsing towards the BTS (Center for Biblical and Theological Studies), excited to see the fantastic little Warren and Betty Wiersbe Library and Reading Room, which houses a phenomenal collection of theology books. Being nerds, we were excited to peruse the shelves of that treasure trove. But, on our way up to the BTS door, a girl that neither of us knew at all stopped us. She said something like the opening quote of this blog post. She wanted us to know that Cedarville had played an important role in her life and that she wanted us to have that experience too.
I was a bit taken aback at being approached by this exuberant and encouraging Cedarville student but thanked her for her advice and continued on to the Wiersbe library, which certainly did not disappoint. However, that experience played an instrumental role in shaping my decision to attend Cedarville.
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
If I’m being honest, I applied to Cedarville at my mom’s insistence. Initially, my college decision was largely shaped by sports, which left me looking at large state schools that had figure skating teams. Cedarville didn’t meet my criteria there, but it wasn’t a particularly long or difficult application, so I figured I might as well! Eventually, however, the Lord changed my desires to be for Him and for His Kingdom, which led me “Cedarville-ward.”
I want to be sure to say that I fully believe the Lord calls some to pursue their sporting dreams at big state schools, but that was not His path for me. During my time visiting schools across the entire spectrum, I came to see that I valued a solid, Christian education at a school like Cedarville. By the time I was making my final college decision, I was definitively seeking out a Christian school.
Because of graduating in 2020 during the pandemic, my college visits were cut short. In considering Christian schools, I kept coming back to Cedarville. What set Cedarville apart for me was people like the girl that stopped me on that fateful CU Friday. For me, she embodies the spirit of Cedarville: an encouraging, enthusiastic, godly community of Christ-followers. At some of the other schools I visited, the students genuinely did not seem like they were thriving or enjoying their time at their university. Cedarville, by contrast, seemed bursting at the seams with students like the one I met, who were grateful for the opportunity to be shaped by the Lord in their 1,000 Days at Cedarville.
Just as Cedarville’s community was authentic and welcoming, so was its faith genuine and foundational. Although I visited other Christian schools, they often felt like they were higher-education institutions with a little Jesus sprinkled on top to give them a Christian name. Cedarville, on the other hand, puts Christ at the center of everything we do, with all that we strive for being an outpouring of our faith. One manifestation of this is chapel, which is commonly called “the heartbeat of campus.” And it truly is.
Ultimately, my college decision came down to finding the university that seemed to best equip students in their quest to “glorify God and enjoy Him forever” (Westminster Shorter Catechism).
Now, picture yourself as a prospective student approaching the BTS and take it from me, a random Cedarville student: “I just wanted to tell you that this school is amazing, and you should totally come to Cedarville!”
Year and Major: Senior, Linguistics
Favorite Music Artist: For King & Country
Favorite Quote: “And this is the happy life, to rejoice to thee, of thee, for thee” — Augustine
Tags: #advice, #cedarville, #personal, #student, #testimony
Posted in: College Life, Experience, Testimony