A greyhound enters the hawk’s nest

Don’t be fooled. I might write for The Brown and White, but I’m no Lehigh student. Even though I sometimes feel like a bit of a spy, I’m just a girl who found journalism later in her college career than most.  

I’m a second-semester senior at Moravian University, majoring in English writing arts with a self-designed minor in multimedia journalism. This is my fourth semester taking classes at Lehigh through the Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges. 

The Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges is by far the best opportunity I’ve been given during my undergraduate education. It allowed me to explore a passion I once felt unsure about without the gravity of transferring to a different institution. 

Still, it’s been difficult to find a sense of belonging at either school. At Moravian, I never quite found my people. I never built the stereotypical tight-knit group of friends or had the social life glorified in movies. 

Some friendships ended in falling outs. Others fizzled out when we were no longer in class together or when classmates graduated, making it harder to stay connected. 

In some ways, I’ve always felt overlooked on Moravian’s campus. I felt lonely and out of place at a school proud of its strong community. I spent much of the past four years wondering whether something was wrong with me, a feeling amplified by my change in career trajectory. 

Although I’d written for The Comenian since my first semester, I didn’t fully realize I wanted to pursue journalism as a career until the start of my junior year. By then, it was too late to switch majors without adding an extra semester, and Moravian doesn’t offer a journalism program. 

I vividly remember crying one night because of how alone I felt in college. I was so upset that I filled out an entire application to transfer to Lehigh. Again, that decision would’ve extended my undergraduate journey. 

That’s where the Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges came in. My mentor at Moravian told me about Lehigh’s strong journalism program and that the association might allow me to take classes there and learn more. 

I began my Lehigh career with Community Journalism, taught by Mariana DeMaio, an associate professor and director of Latin American and Latino Studies. 

The course sparked my passion for community-focused reporting. It taught me how to work with a team and pushed me out of my comfort zone, asking me to speak with community members and walk through the neighborhoods I report on. 

Since then, I’ve designed my minor, taken more classes and was even invited to apply for a position at The Brown and White. 

Even with those opportunities, I still haven’t fully found my place at Lehigh. I’m not “in the know” when I’m on campus. I never toured the university. I don’t know what clubs it offers, and, to be honest, I didn’t know what “Clutch” was for a very long time. 

It’s nearly impossible to make friends when I’m only on campus for classes or other obligations. 

Looking back, I’ve created a hodgepodge of experiences, pieced together through unexpected opportunities. The one thing that has always been missing from my college experience, though, is a bustling campus social life. 

I’m fortunate to have built lifelong friendships outside any institution of higher education, and I’m deeply grateful for the opportunities my education has given me. 

Even though I’m no Mountain Hawk, I’ve gained invaluable insight into journalism through my time at the university. For that, I’ll always be thankful.

Maybe belonging doesn’t always look like a movie scene. Maybe it looks like quiet growth, taking risks and carving your own path — even if that path winds between two campuses that never quite felt like home.