Olivia WittenbergFor me, CU was never really on the radar in terms of where I would go to college. Being from the Pacific Northwest and not wanting to stray too far from my green, beautiful home by the ocean, I had it in my head that I would most likely attend a small, private school somewhere in California or Eastern Washington. So, when my mom recommended I add CU Boulder to my list of the thirteen schools I was already applying to, it was no big deal. I didn’t think I would actually end up there, it would just be nice to know I had the option!

When it got down to it, I was choosing between three schools: one in Southern California, one in Eastern Washington, and of course, CU Boulder. It happened completely by chance that I was able to attend Admitted Student Day at CU, and next thing I knew I was in a rental car driving into Boulder- my first time being there as an adult. The drive from the airport kind of freaked me out- it looked more like a moonscape than the road to a college town. It was rugged and dry, and I didn’t see any of those Evergreen trees I knew and loved from my home in Olympia. Everyone I know that chose Boulder, when asked why they did, speaks of how beautiful campus is and that as soon as they set foot here they knew it was the place for them. Honestly, of course I saw how lovely campus was, but I never got that “I knew right then that it was the place for me…” kind of feelings until I was back home in my living room in Washington pulling up a list of study abroad opportunities on my mom’s laptop.

One of those nights I was stewing about where I would spend the next four years of my life, my wonderful mom called me into the living room, saying that I would definitely want to take a look at some information she had found. That information was a comprehensive list of every single study abroad program CU had to offer, and to me, it was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. The idea that I could actually partake in one of these incredible programs, made me even more excited about going to college than setting foot on campus. And then, oh and then, I pulled up a class list for the International Affairs major. That was the moment I knew without a doubt: This was the school for me. I felt that if I could build my own major, this would be the one, down to the last Cultural Anthropology class.

To this day, the International Affairs Program at CU never ceases to amaze me. It has everything I could ever want in a major and more. It has allowed me to take classes in absolutely every area that interests me, from Anthropology to Economics, from Political Science to Sociology, and of course my love and passion: Spanish. That night on my mom’s laptop, the program that instantly caught my eye was called, “Global Seminar: Barcelona Literature and Culture”. I grabbed the first piece of paper I saw- an envelope from the mail that day laying on our dining room table, and scribbled down the program information.

The night I moved into my Residence Hall, I wrote down three goals on a sticky note to hang above my desk in my dorm room: Graduate as a double major, graduate with honors, and study abroad in Spain. I never expected that by the end of my freshman year I would have already officially declared two majors, be on track to graduate with Latin honors, and have a study abroad program in Barcelona in my Freshman summer under my belt. The same exact program I had scribbled down on the envelope three years ago today. All this, and so much more was possible through CU Boulder.

I came to Boulder because I could see how many incredible opportunities I could be a part of. I have stayed because choosing to attend CU means that I have only scratched the surface of what I can accomplish by being here. I’ve joined Greek Life, become a Student Ambassador, volunteered for my school, lived abroad in Barcelona, and so much more. Next summer I plan on living and interning in Washington DC with the CU in DC program. And my senior, year you'll find me studying abroad for a second time in Geneva, Switzerland, learning about Multilateral Diplomacy and the UN- not only as a double major, but also a double minor. CU has opened the door to me and revealed a literally endless amount of opportunities, and for that reason I wake up excited each day to attend a University where I have already achieved everything I have ever wanted to. The sky's the limit for what comes next.

 

Olivia Wittenberg

Olivia Wittenberg
International Affairs & Spanish, Minor in Political Science and Certificate in Peace & Security Studies, 2020