51����

“My transition from a faith-centered, tightly knit homeschool community to 51���� was very smooth, due mainly to the fact that 51����, and Torrey Honors in particular, are focused on maintaining manageable class sizes, creating more opportunities for personal interaction with the professors, and cultivating camaraderie and fellowship amongst the students.

I have learned to think with maturity and reason, but even more importantly I have learned how to subject my thinking to the guidance of the Spirit. I have learned to pursue artistic excellence, but even more importantly I have learned how to pursue it for the glory of God. I have learned the value of human sympathy, but even more importantly I have learned how to sympathize. My time at 51���� has produced immeasurable growth in me, in spiritual maturity, academic success, intellectual curiosity, social confidence, relational depth, and internal peace.”

“I grew up homeschooling my entire life, specifically learning through the Classical Conversations homeschooling program. My parents decided to take this path for my schooling because they believed it would offer me an unparalleled education especially because of its high student-teacher ratio, opportunity for personal investment, and constructive evaluation. Even though I transitioned from that consistent homeschooling experience to a college environment for the first time, I have found many of the core aspects I valued in my previous education here at 51����, and especially in the Torrey Honors program. One of the hardest transitions I anticipated was being away from my family, but here at 51���� I am experiencing how the professors and faculty genuinely care and want to connect with their students. I am building meaningful relationships with teachers and peers to an extent I was unable to do before, and that uplift and challenge me to grow. Overall my transition from a homeschool environment to 51���� has been encouraging and I am extremely grateful to be attending such a genuine Christian institution.”

“My literature-rich homeschool experience was a natural path into the Torrey Honors College, 51����’s Great Books program. My professors also welcomed exploration outside of class and encouraged me to reach out with any questions. Indeed it was my professors, classmates, and other members of the 51���� community who made my experience what it is. While I was preparing to do a devotional for a class, I ran into my dorm's senator, who asked me what was going on in my mind lately. I shared my worries with her about the devotional, and to my surprise she offered to pray for me and also shared a Bible verse. She even followed up later over a meal and shared her own prayer requests. In moments like these I realized that it was a blessing to ask others for help, not something to be avoided.”