College Top Ten List

Here's a list of the ten best parts of my college experience. I want to go into greater depth for each year, but this will get it started. Here we go...

The Top Ten Moments/Memories of My Penn State Experience

10. My freshmen year dorm - would never have chosen to live with those 5 guys (except for Christian) but I loved it. Had some really interesting moments and loved living with them. If I had a blog my freshman year, you would have been able to read about some pretty crazy stories.

9. Penn State Football - if you know me, you may be surprised to see this so low on the list. That goes to show how awesome college was for me. There are specific moments where football was awesome, but this is the overall football experience during the last four years. 40 some wins and three bowl victories...not bad at all! And the student section never failed to entertain - I was stoked to be part of it.

8. Regular meetings with Aaron Henning - I would be lying if i said the relationship Aaron and I developed was not influential in my spiritual growth. His wisdom and compassion for me certainly played an immensely important role in my leadership development...and sense of humor actually. It was fun to have really serious conversations while making each other laugh.

7. Freshman Guys Bible Study - my freshman year was awesome, and so was bible study...and so were the rest of the guys in the bible study. I made some incredible relationships from that group, and I was so excited to be inspired and challenged by them every week. Looking back on it now, it's amazing to think about the leadership potential from that group. Quite impressive.

6. Winter Break Roadtrip - During my freshman year, I was asked by my Bible study leader if I wanted to go see Penn State take on Tennessee in the Outback Bowl. I said yes, and proceeded to have an amazingly fun week filled with golf, sun, beach, Dave Hine throwing up, great conversation, and a great Penn State upset!

5. ACF Baptism Services - during my time at Penn State, I went to all 8 baptism services, and I think I cried in 7 of them. There's something really powerful about seeing close friends make a stand for Christ...definitely a time to celebrate! Every time someone was baptized, all I could think about was how Satan absolutely hated what was happening. Victory is delicious!

4. ACF - most of these moments/memories/experiences are because of Alliance Christian Fellowship. Making ACF my home was the easiest and probably best decision I made while in college. The friends I made and the weekly fellowship from ACF continue to impact me. I'll be friends with some of those people for a very long time

3. Freshman/Sophomore Guys Bible STUDy - no, this is not a repeat. This is when I was co-leading it. Seeing those shy freshman guys transform to the next generation of ACF leadership was a huge source of joy for me and I'm so glad I was there to pour into them. Love those guys!

2. Living at the HOP - I loved living here, 15 minute walk to campus = far enough away that the partiers will not be a bother! Loved the parties we had there, loved the conversations I had there. Mostly, I'm super grateful for living with the roommates I had: Christian, Ryan, Aaron, Kyle. These guys didn't live at the HOP all at the same time, but they were the best. Ryan Stauffer is my best man for a reason, and that is largely because of the moments we shared at the HOP...I should make a top ten list of events at the HOP...unfortunately, only three people would think it would be legitimately funny, and I'm one of them.

1. Building a relationship with my (then future) fiance - enough said really. A total blessing. A life changing event.

I like making lists like these because it makes me think of everything that happened. It was pretty tough to narrow it down to just ten. Here are some honorable mentions: Mission Trip to New Orleans, Summer Internship in Alabama, PSU-Illinois basketball game junior year (I have to share that story!), and pranking Kate freshman year.