Published June 01, 2026
Four Years in Violet: Reflecting on My Time at NYU
Homesickness, anticipation, and excitement overwhelmed me when I stepped off the plane at JFK Airport nearly four years ago. I had no idea what was in store. All I knew was that I loved musical theatre, was tired of my small hometown, and was ready to step into this new chapter.
Oh, how much has changed since then! As a senior, I’m reflecting on my time at NYU and wishing I could tell my 18-year-old self that it would all work out.
Beginnings
I entered NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts to study musical theatre at the New Studio on Broadway. I roomed in Lipton Hall with a girl I knew from my home state of South Carolina. Social media had shaped an ideal college experience in my mind. So, from day one, I set out to make friends and experience as much as possible.
It was exhausting. And honestly? Not worth it. I went to events I had no interest in and talked with people who weren’t the type I wanted to be friends with. After two years, three roommate fallouts, and changing my major, I realized I was becoming someone I didn’t want to be. I didn’t need to change who I was to make people like me. After all, this was New York City, the most diverse place in the world! My people were out there; I just had to find them.
The Becomings
I decided to switch to the College of Arts and Science, which gave me more time to pursue my actual interests. Soon, I joined the NYU equestrian team and became an Admissions Ambassador. What’s more, I explored my Greek heritage through the Hellenics Studies program. These three experiences transformed my time at NYU into something positive I will carry with me forever.
The equestrian team brought me horses and many close friends, including one who later became my roommate! At the same time, the admissions office helped me find my calling in higher education, which I am now pursuing as I prepare to graduate. Greek classes helped me grow closer to my family in Athens and encouraged me to solo travel across Europe my sophomore summer.
These experiences weren’t what I expected when I came to NYU, and some of them made me feel like a failure. I expected NYU to provide big dreams and huge job opportunities. I did not have either of these. My dream shifted from Broadway to a university office, and I left behind the spotlight and recognition.
But along the way, I realized the version of success I imagined wasn’t the only one worth chasing. Something more grounded, personal, and fulfilling quietly replaced the “big dream” I thought I had lost. Instead of performing on a stage, I found purpose in helping others find their place, guiding students through the same excitement and uncertainty I once navigated.
What once felt like failure began to look a lot more like redirection. NYU didn’t give me the story I expected, but it gave me one that feels entirely my own. By shifting from chasing what I thought I should want to embracing what excited me, I found a different kind of success that I’m proud to carry with me after graduation.
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