Two College Decisions, One Great Experience   

When you hear the term “transfer student”, you may think of a student at a big school who’s unhappy and moving to a smaller school closer to their hometown. However, I don’t fit that typical definition.

College Decision #1

I started my college journey in 2023 at Delaware Technical Community College (Del Tech), where I majored in Human Services. From a young age, I knew I wanted to help people, specifically children, but I never knew in exactly what role. I figured something in the realm of Human Services would help me work closer to that goal and guide me in forming specific career aspirations.

This past May, I earned my Associate’s in Human Services from Del Tech As graduation approached, I needed to decide whether I wanted to find a job in the field and leave higher education behind or continue leveling up my education and transfer to a four-year college. Both options had their pros and cons, and, in the end, I decided to pursue four-year colleges to transfer my credits toward a bachelor’s degree.

Through my time at Del Tech I developed a more specific career goal—I wanted to do something in the field of School Counseling or Child Psychology. With that aspiration in mind, I knew I needed to transfer my credits and further my education to be successful.

The Transfer

My transfer process started during my second year at Del Tech; they hosted Connected Degree Days- where four-year colleges come to campus to inform prospective students about programs they have to offer. My first year, I attended for the sole purpose of networking with the admissions representatives. However, once I decided I wanted to transfer, I took these opportunities much more seriously. I spoke with all the colleges local to Delaware and a few out of state as well. The one college that piqued my interest most was Goldey-Beacom College.

During my conversation with Goldey-Beacom’s admissions representative (Brittany), I felt very heard and understood in comparison to talking with the other colleges. It was very evident to me that she cared about my goals and wasn’t just convincing me to become a Goldey-Beacom student. She was able to answer my questions about the transfer process and explained it in simple terms, which gave me reassurance since I had been overwhelmed by the process. She was also able to tell me a lot about the Psychology major, which I had the most interest in.

At first, the transfer process felt very daunting. Each college I spoke with had a different process, and it was hard to get in contact with people. I tried emailing and calling colleges I spoke with during Connected Degree Day to get more information and got little to no response- except from Goldey-Beacom. Every time I reached out, I received nothing but quick responses and guidance on who to talk to about certain things to make sure I got the most accurate information. That level of responsiveness immediately alleviated my sense of overwhelm about the process.

Back in November 2024, there was a campus visit day at Goldey-Beacom, and I went! It was my first time on campus, and I was nervous. At this point, I only had phone call or email conversations with admissions. Campus visit day was my opportunity to talk to students, professors, and explore campus to see if Goldey-Beacom was the place for me.

After my experience during campus visit day—learning about small classroom sizes, and hearing about the close-knit community feel on campus—I realized this is the environment I wanted to be a part of. I had always imagined typical four-year colleges as big schools with thousands of students. I was afraid of getting lost in the crowd and never having an identity on campus. But with Goldey-Beacom, I would be able to form meaningful relationships with both my professors and classmates.

College Decision #2

After careful consideration, I realized that Goldey-Beacom was the place for me to continue my education. I submitted my application, exactly five days after my campus visit, and it was surprisingly simple. The part I was most nervous about was transferring my credits, but the process turned out to be as simple as sending my transcript from Del Tech I got my acceptance letter right before Christmas and was over the moon that I would be starting at Goldey-Beacom in the fall of 2025!

After my acceptance I visited the campus a few more times, attending Accepted Students Day and New Student Orientation (NSO). Every time I was on campus, it was further affirmed for me that I made the right decision in continuing my education at Goldey-Beacom.

My GBC Experience Thus Far

Fast forward to today, I am wrapping up my first semester at GBC. During the short time I have been a student here, I’ve experienced everything first-hand that was shared with me in my previous conversations with GBC students and faculty: the close-knit, family-like environment, forming personable connections with both professors and classmates, and not feeling like a small fish in a big pond, but rather a small fish in a small and connected pond.

In my classes, I’m making amazing connections with my professors and classmates. I find the most joy in my Organizational Psychology class with Professor El-Attar and my Public Speaking class with Professor Golberg. I have learned so much from their class content and teaching style, and plan to take more classes with them in the future. I am also getting to meet a lot of students on campus as well. Chatting with classmates, both before and after class, and working on classwork together in the library and just getting to know one another.

I also built a meaningful relationship with Ms. Kirker in Career Services. During NSO, I shared my aspirations of wanting to work with children, and she connected me with the local middle school, Skyline, where I now mentor students multiple days a week. Through this opportunity, I also learned one of my other professors, Dr. Thurley, volunteers at Skyline as well and is known as Pop-Pop by the students.

A Reflection on the Great Experience

If you had told me I would make two college decisions in two years, I probably would’ve looked at you like you were crazy. But today, I can tell you with confidence that I could not be happier with the decisions I made for my education.

Something my dad tells me all the time is, “That piece of paper is worth everything” (referring to a college degree). Yes, a degree is valuable in the workforce and can open a lot of doors, but anyone can get that piece of paper. What’s truly meaningful are the experience and connections you make along the way. I am proud to say that I am enjoying my experience along the way to earning “that piece of paper”, thanks to the community environment at GBC!