Much to My Surprise, Wabash was Right Choice
I am Jake Ezell: a 19 year old, 6 foot, 175 pound, studious, athletic, passionate individual and recent graduate of Roncalli High School on the Southside of Indianapolis. At Roncalli, I was involved in a plethora of extracurriculars including Student Council, Spanish Club, Boy Scouts of America, South Deanery Dance Marathon, Swimming, Track and Field, Baseball, Football, and Ultimate Frisbee Club.
I had an opportunity to lead the majority of those events at some point in high school. I am very service oriented and have been to both New Orleans and Biloxi, Mississippi on Hurricane Katrina Relief Mission Trips. I hope to continue a commitment to service at Wabash and look forward to the doors the college will open to me. Being very active is something that is very important to me - in my senior year I only came home directly after school twice because I was always involved in some activity. I enjoy art, am an advocate of most music, and consider myself to have a sense of humor.
When I first began my college search junior year, I immediately eliminated every college in the nation except for IU because it was convenient and my older brother was a junior there.However, after many serious conversations with my parents, it was decided, by my parents, I would take a few college days to various colleges before I completely settled on IU. Closing my mind to any other possibilities, I agreed to take a couple "days off" from school and went on my first college day to Wabash College.
When my parents first spoke to me about the Wabash College, I passed it off as a joke because I was going to go to a college with tons of swarming, gorgeous women - I had decided this was the key factor in choosing my college. This again seems to be a perfect example of parents knowing best. My dad would later tell me he knew Wabash was right for me from the get go; this may be an example of parents claiming too much recognition. However, I found myself sitting in Trippet Hall on a sunny weekday morning enjoying mytime out of class.
The first part of my Wabash visit was a tour. I spent the majority of the tour wondering where all the gorgeous girls were and enjoying the fresh air. However, a piece of me began to take interest in the traditions, excellence, and resources presented to me. We came across the arch that no Wabash student is to cross under - if he intends to graduate. The tour guide explained the history of the arch and walked casually around it, as did my parents. I took a step forward and was now a step away from committing myself to IU and proving to my parents I had no interest in any other college. This is when that little voice in my head went off. I found myself yielding to the tradition and walked wide around the arch. I expressed a sincere interest the rest of the tour and found myself with a strange attraction to the college.
All my life I have been an achiever; I have always wanted more, wanted to be the best, wanted to go the extra mile. I had finally found a realm other than a sports field that could take me there. After doing some very in depth researching on my own, courtesy of the Princeton Review which I highly recommend, I decided I needed to pursue an education at Wabash College. I felt as if the ideals, traditions, and long history of excellence were calling to me. I had found a college that truly fit me. I went to the majority of the visit days allotted to prospective students and really took my time getting a feel for the college. It was not until that following April that I finally committed to Wabash College, but I fully expect it to be one of the best decisions I will have to make in my life. It was time to get serious, swarming girls could wait, this was about setting me up for success, about deciding to be an adult, and making the best of my education.