Alanah Charles memorized the number of miles between her hometown of Miami and her new residence hall at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
It’s a long way from home — some 1,650 miles. But for Charles, that distance is part of the point.
When she moved into her room last week, it was also the first time she had ever set foot on campus.
“I’m so excited, but I’m also definitely a little nervous,” Charles said. “Mostly, though, I’m just ready to take the leap.”
I’m so excited, but I’m also definitely a little nervous. Mostly, though, I’m just ready to take the leap.
Charles wanted college to be a true adventure. She wanted to leave home, experience something completely different and find a community of her own.
“I've always told myself that I wanted to explore different things, experience different cultures and be accepted somewhere other than my home,” she said. “At first, when I applied to Nebraska, it was kind of on a whim. But once I went through their programs and looked around on their Instagram, I was like, ‘OK, wait, I love UNL.’”
Choosing Nebraska meant stepping into a place where she knew practically no one.
In high school, Charles served as student government president, competed in multiple sports and created her football program’s media team. At Nebraska, she’s looking forward to finding new ways to get involved, meet people and explore whatever comes next.
“I’m really excited to start joining different clubs,” she said. “I’m pretty straightforward when it comes to seeking out new experiences, so I’m hoping I’ll just be able to start networking and meeting a bunch of people right away that will help to build community here.”
She’d already found one person before she arrived — her roommate.
Charles and her roommate found each other on an app and got in touch as soon as the housing portal opened. Before they ever shared a room, they were already getting to know each other.
“We FaceTimed for like five hours the other week just chatting, planning how we were going to decorate the room and sending TikToks back and forth,” she said. “It’s been so great and I’m already feeling so thankful for that.”
For someone moving more than 1,000 miles from home, Charles is already finding pieces of the community she came looking for.
And maybe that’s why Nebraska felt right from the moment she read her acceptance letter.
“I opened that letter, I saw ‘congratulations,’ I saw my financial aid package, and I thought, ‘OK, I’m going to have my Husker home very soon,’” she said.
