Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by The Collegian, the CU Independent or their respective editorial boards.

Dear Boulder,

Thirteen years ago, my dad and stepmom visited a cousin of theirs who lived in Colorado. While there, they visited you, Boulder, and got my 6-year-old self a sweatshirt with the local university’s trademark Buffalo mascot. That simple purchase changed the course of my life forever.

From that moment forward, the University of Colorado Boulder was my dream school. Honestly, there was no tangible reason for my choice — something about the school just beckoned to me. I Googled images of the campus and fell in love despite being over 1,000 miles away. I followed organization after organization on Instagram and counted the days until I could interact with them in person.

I learned about Pearl Street Mall, Chautauqua Park, The Hill, the on-campus museums and the variety of classes offered to students.

Educators and advisers tenaciously asked where I planned to attend college, and before I knew it, it became muscle memory to say, “CU Boulder.” At the time, the football team was known for their losses, but even that supposed negative aspect enticed me. I have always been one to root for the underdog.

Throughout grade school, I maintained a 4.0 GPA, as the idea of you, Boulder, cemented into my mind. During my junior year of high school, we flew from my hometown of Alexandria, Louisiana, to you, my future home.

I strutted around campus in my most fabulous pair of go-go boots, and the vibrant energy of the campus encapsulated me entirely. Eventually my feet began to hurt, as they naturally do when confined for nearly three hours, but I was oblivious to the pain. The only thing I remember thinking was how excited I was to live here.

When our tour concluded, my parents asked how I felt, though it seemed evident with the unchanging smile on my face. Lying on the grass at Farrand Field with an incredible view behind me, I told them I could not be happier than I already was.

In January 2023, CU Boulder accepted my application to the College of Media, Communication and Information‘s journalism program. I had never really cried tears of joy until that day. After all those years of hard work and determination, I did it. I made it into the college of my dreams.

I am proud to say I am an executive member of CU Boulder’s chapter of the national online magazine Her Campus. As well as being a writer, I am a part of the social media team, for which I create and submit content for college students akin to myself.

Since September 2024, I have had the liberty to write for the CU Independent — one of the many organizations I followed on Instagram all those years ago.

As a second-year student with the privilege of waking up to the stunning Flatirons each day, I can finally say I have never been happier to be alive. Consistently surrounded by peers who provide me with similar yet strikingly different perspectives on life, I see the world opposite to how I did in my hometown.

Back in Louisiana, my world was strictly black and white, either entirely right or wrong. But with you, in this place I am so grateful to call home, I live in a spectrum of vibrant colors.

So thank you. Thank you to those in my hometown who prompted me to venture out of the comfort of the South. Thank you for the warm embraces I received when I was new to navigating this labyrinth-like campus. Thank you to the professors in the CMCI who laid a strong foundation for my education to come. Thank you to the dependable companions who presented me with flourishing friendships.

Thank you to the remarkable writers who allowed me to expand my vocabulary, range and expertise in journalism. And a final and most essential thank you to you, Boulder. Thank you for allowing my dreams to come to fruition, for giving me a fresh start and for showing me colors I would not have known existed unless I was privileged enough to call this beautiful place my home.

Reach Maddie Spicer at tips@cuindependent.com or on Twitter @The_CUI.