Meet Transfer Intern Mary Kate

Transferring to the College of William & Mary was the scariest and most exciting decision I have made. I spent my freshman year at a university out-of-state, and the idea that I was going to move halfway across the country to live in a town where I did not know a single person was absurd. Why would I leave a perfectly decent school for something so unknown?

I pondered this question for weeks. I texted my parents nearly every three hours to tell them I had changed my mind—again. Yet from the moment I considered transferring to W&M, I knew that this school had something special to offer me, and I was not going to let the opportunity pass me by.

The first day of Orientation I drove from my grandmother’s a few hours away to Williamsburg, and I spent the entire car ride wondering if I had gone crazy. I had all my belongings in the backseat, and that was it. I knew I would shortly be entirely alone. Except I wasn’t.

Everyone from my orientation group was in the same situation as me, and soon enough, I spent my time wondering if I had gone crazy so as to explain why I ever debated not transferring. The transfers from my orientation group became some of my best friends. I joined the International Relations Club, where I learned about Model United Nations and now I staff and compete at conferences. My social sorority has become my family on this campus, and my internship with AidData has given me work experience and helped me enter the field in which I hope to work. As a future International Relations and Economics double major, my classes challenge me, my professors encourage me, and every day I feel as if I am learning from the best among the best.

I liked my old school, but I wanted something more. I wanted a community that was like a family—a place where I would constantly see familiar faces throughout my day and have plenty of opportunities at my feet. I wished for something amazing. I am grateful my temporary insanity and William & Mary made that happen.

– Mary Kate Adgie