Dear Horned Frog Hopeful,
I came to TCU from California on a whim, without expectation. I barely snuck in the back door through the waitlist and did not have the time to visit the state of Texas, let alone TCU, before accepting my offer. My first TCU experience was spent at Frog Camp, and the thing that struck me the most, other than the outrageous temperature, was the level of genuine acceptance coupled with school spirit. People really do seem to be friendlier in
Texas, especially at TCU.
Many people will tell you that TCU is a place of wonder, a school that rivals Disneyland in its mystical lure and abundant happiness. While I do wholeheartedly subscribe to this belief, TCU is still a college, and college can be difficult. I spent much of my freshman year desperately trying to assimilate to a new culture, new friends, and a new lifestyle. Eventually, my efforts to fit in led me to forget how to be myself and I honestly debated leaving.
I spent that summer back home traveling up and down the California coast, visiting friends I had made in Texas. From the cliffs of Big Sur to beautiful beaches of San Diego, the best times I had that summer were spent with those who welcomed me with open doors and comfortable couches. It was then I realized that all of the people I had met at TCU had loved me for who I was as a person the entire time. I was just too caught up in all of the newness to realize it.
Since, the connections and friendships I have made while at TCU have led me across the country and abroad. Every experience I have been blessed with over the past 4 years, from a cross-country cycling trip for charity to a summer spent living out of my car traveling across the Western half of the United States, all the way to the Taj Mahal in India, has been the result of the good grace and hospitality of people I have met at TCU. I can honestly say I would have never seen the beautiful landscape in Big Bend or the awe inspiring Teton mountain range without the amazing people I have met here. Thus, I have come to realize that the relationships I have built at TCU have been truly life changing and I am excited to see how those relationships evolve as we all embark on the next great adventure.
Rather than becoming my world, TCU has opened avenues for me to see the world. This place has prepared me for what is next by providing me a sense of purpose in life. It has become my home. For that, and especially for all of those that have made my journey here so incredible, I am forever thankful. To the Horned Frog hopefuls who read this, my only wish is that when you come to TCU, you too make it your own. After all, that’s the only way the best gets better.
As always, Go Frogs!
– Ethan
Ethan Murray is a senior Political Science Major from Newport Beach, CA who is an aspiring attorney and avid reader. When he’s not working at TCU’s rock wall, you can find him training for the Cowtown Marathon. Throughout his time at TCU, he has extensively written and researched social justice issues and human trafficking, has biked across America with Pi Kappa Phi’s Journey of Hope, has spent a semester interning in Washington, D.C., and has learned how to say y’all.
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