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The views expressed on this page are soley
those of the author and do not
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The Right Choice
By Andrew Rowland
Edison State Communications Student
Once a young adult’s time in high school comes to an end, it is time
for them to move on into the world and make a big decision on what they
would like to achieve in life. As one’s senior year comes and goes,
they will most likely have toured some schools, applied, been accepted,
and chose the school of their dreams where they will be majoring in a
certain degree for a number of years.
For me, as I ventured through high school, the only school I remotely
had my eye on was The Ohio State University. That was my dream. That
was my school. As soon as my time came to a close in Ansonia, the next
fall I would be shipping myself off to Columbus. Having had two of my
three siblings attend Ohio State, I was already acclimated with most,
if not all, of the campus and where everything was. It was my home away
from home so to speak. So, let’s rewind to the beginning of the year. A
time when my outlook and thoughts began to shift.
During my junior and senior years, I had already been enrolled at
Edison State taking college credit plus classes along with other
courses. But the main reason was because I wanted to be involved in the
new agriculture program that Edison was starting with Brad Lentz at the
head of it. Mr. Lentz was my Ag teacher at Ansonia and with the decline
of the Ag program at my high school, I wanted to try something else and
this opportunity fell right in my lap. Through two years I learned and
gained more knowledge about the different sides of agriculture on top
of what I already knew having been raised on a farm.
During the early months of 2019, I had not heard back from Ohio State
on whether I had gotten accepted yet, when Mr. Lentz one day asked me
if I had considered staying at Edison and completing my Associates
Degree in Ag-Business. And to be honest, I hadn’t thought about it at
all. Then one day, Mr. Lentz laid out what it would take for me to
complete my degree. A year and a half of schooling and becoming an
ambassador for the Edison Ag program didn’t seem like such a bad thing.
I would still be able to work on the farm and at our family truck
business making money right away and not going into any debt. As the
winter months moved on my decision began to weigh on me. Was Ohio State
the right fit or was God telling me I was already on the right path?
Shortly after I began to rethink my college choice and consider Edison,
I found out that I did not get into the main campus of Ohio State but
the branch campus in Lima. What I thought was my dream school had
rejected me. Of course, I could have gone to Lima for a semester then
transferred to the main campus but for some reason it just didn’t feel
the same to me. Edison then became a very viable option and I began to
think if I did stay I could help out with all the work while still
being at home. The decision was completely up to me and I had my
parents’ blessings no matter where I chose.
So here I sit today. Still in Darke county, living at home, and
attending Edison to receive my Associates in Ag-Business. I do believe
I made the right choice on where to attend college. I enjoy helping out
whenever I can, and I know my dad and brothers really like having me
around to help. I still think about what if I had gone to Lima for a
semester then to the main campus, but who doesn’t contemplate decisions
they make on whether they were the right ones?
But then I just think about the great opportunity I have going for me
right now and I know it was the right decision. I chose a way that will
help me to become successful, and I am at peace with it every day.
Every kid graduating high school has a different choice on what they
want to do. For me, my choice changed, and I believe it will better me
and set me up for greater success in my future.
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