GOSHEN — Before he even arrived on campus Friday, Tanner Engle knew a Maple Leaf.
His older sister, a senior this year at Goshen College, often bragged about her American Sign Language classes, the friends she’d made and the many experiences she’d had.
“I guess it’s kind of new, but it’s also kind of familiar,” Engle described as he finished up his dessert in the Westlawn Dining Hall before the campus tour Friday afternoon.
Engle, and nearly 70 of his potential classmates, wandered the campus throughout the day Friday as part of Explore Goshen Day. The visit included classroom visits, an academic fair, a student life panel, lunch in the dining hall and an overnight stay for students brave enough to stay in a dorm room for the first time.
Engle, of Decatur, Ind., said he would be spending the night in a dorm in hopes of getting a better idea of whether Goshen College was the right place for him. Engle is a senior at Adams Central High School and will graduate in the spring. He plans to study nursing and later enter the field of cardiology.
“I think one of the most important things is going to be whether I feel comfortable here. I think I’m more apt to pick a college where I feel totally comfortable,” he said.
His sister, Mia, agreed.
“I encouraged him to apply, but I want it to be a school where he wants to come on his own and not because I went here,” she said. “He needs to be able to get a feel of the college and envision himself being here.”
While choosing the right college is of utmost importance, Tanner Engle added that he didn’t know much about the town surrounding the campus.
Mia Engle said she’s spent some time working at IU Health Goshen Hospital and interpreting for a church, but other than First Friday activities, she tends to stay on campus.
Other visiting students said they too were less concerned about the town surrounding their future college and more worried about academic programs, making new friends, of course, finding a home away from home.
Homeschool students Megan Peters and Zachary Ralph both said they were pleased to find many friendly faces during Friday’s visit.
Peters, of Warren, Mich., plans to study art and Ralph, of Bechtelsville, Pa., said he’s looking for a place to teach him about accounting.
“Location is definitely a factor, but I’m not really worried about the city (the college) is in,” Ralph explained. “It’s more about ‘how far do I want to be from home?’”
Naomi Peters said distance is definitely a factor. The high school senior traveled from Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada to explore Goshen College’s campus.
“It seems like such a good community,” Peters said. “It’s such a small college, but I’m learning about all of these wonderful opportunities.”
Although she knows “very, very little” about the city of Goshen, the small-town feel is appealing, she added.
“I think when it comes down to it, it’s the people that matter most of all. Having that good core group of people who share your values. That’s what matters,” Peters said.
Follow Julie on Twitter @jcrothers_tgn
Want to visit?
The next Explore Goshen Day is Nov. 14 and interested students are encouraged to register for the event online at www.goshen.edu/admission/visit/openhouse/.
