Moving in and moving on

My mom's car was so full of things the
only place to sit was the driver's seat.

My day started today at the bright and early hour of 5 AM to the sound of my mom cheering "move-in day, move-in day" on repeat. After gathering the last of my packed possessions and getting ready for the day ahead, I left my home in Austin for my new home in San Antonio. After a quick stop at my favorite coffee shop Epoch, their double latte is second to none, I was officially on the road.

Now you may have heard about some of the traditions at Trinity, from being thrown into the fountain on your birthday, all the way to the best study spots on campus. But today when my parents and I reached the front of Witt-Winn residence hall we were greeted by one of the most genuine and friendly traditions Trinity has. Right there at the front of the hall was a mob of Trinity students and faculty eagerly waiting to empty out my overly stuffed trunk and carry it all to my room. So instead of spending upwards of an hour unloading and lugging my luggage to the room, I entrusted my things to their very capable hands. While I was able to get a little extra help on the unloading, the unpacking was a whole different story. Much to my parents (and my own) surprise, everything fit! All of the clothes and supplies and pillows that I had brought (and there are a lot of pillows) fit as if they were made for the room.

Me and Ramona getting a bite to eat on move-in day 2014!

Next came the time, the moment of truth if you will. I was finally getting to meet my roommate. Unlike a lot of students who are able to meet their roommates before school or even spend time together during the summer, my roommate Ramona and I were not able to do much more than email, and Skype, because well, we were on opposite sides of the world. You see, Ramona is from Rwanda (in Africa!).  After meeting Ramona I met one of my suite-mates, Mikki. And thankfully as we started talking we realized we all have a lot in common, in particular, we are all in a program called the Entrepreneurship and Creativity Hall. E-Hall is a residence hall (this year it is in the ground floor of Witt-Winn) completely occupied by individuals interested in becoming entrepreneurs and working on new and interesting start-up ideas. Essentially we are a group of driven, and creative thinkers and problem solvers looking for new projects to work on in team settings.

Entrepreneurship hall offers such a great way to
meet new people and take the first step into college life. 

And of course the day would not be complete without meeting my Resident Mentor or RM (similar to an RA, but with a Trinity twist). This year my RM will be Steve. Steve is a senior from South Korea, and is one of the most helpful and enthusiastic people I have met on campus so far! He is not only in charge of us freshmen, he is there to help guide us during our first year on campus as a friend, mentor, mediator and everything in between.

After an overwhelming, but truly memorable day, I would classify move-in day 2014 a shining success! I realized today is about more than just moving into my new room, it is about meeting the people you will spend the next year growing with and getting to know, both in the class room and out. And it is about meeting the wonderful people who will help us not only grow but flourish. I met my roommate, my suite-mates, my hall-mates, my Resident Mentor and even one of my professors (Dr. Martinez, who is in charge of the entrepreneurship program). Everyone was such a blast to meet and I am so excited to see what happens this year. If today was any indicator I can only expect great things.

- Grace