By Mary Hanlon Hunton
The Auburn Family has many sayings like “Bodda Getta” and “It’s Great to be an Auburn Tiger”, but my favorite is “if you love Auburn, it will love you right back”. This could not be truer, and I am among countless other Auburn students who will attest to this fact. I was born into the Auburn family having had both my parents graduate in the early 90’s. I first fell in love with Auburn because of them and their love for this university! There are countless videos of me singing our fight song and pictures of me on Samford Lawn in a cheer uniform with Aubie. I was a die hard fan, and there was no doubt that I bled orange and blue. I remember going to football and baseball games, attending family members’ graduations, and visiting campus for various events. I looked forward to every fall because that meant I would be in the most magical place tailgating with friends, cheering on my Tigers, watching our beloved eagle soar around Jordan Hare, and shouting “War Eagle” as loud as a kid could!
When the time came to choose my post-secondary path, I applied to only one school, Auburn. It was my dream to attend Auburn University, major in Nursing, be on the Tiger Paws dance team, and make new friends from all over the globe. I loved everything Auburn and couldn’t wait to hit the ground running as soon as I stepped foot on campus. I made the dance team, joined a Greek sorority, and got involved in many service projects. In my role as Tiger Paw, I was afforded the opportunity to be a university ambassador, have a front row seat to some of the most exciting games in Jordan Hare as well as Neville Arena, and my senior year I led our team as captain. Nothing will ever compare to the pure joy I experienced each time a child ran up to me on gameday to give me the biggest hug, borrow my poms, or snap a photo. I was now the girl on the field I used to watch not that many years ago. I was able to share my love of Auburn with Auburn’s future, just as my predecessors did for me.
You would think being a nursing major and student-athlete would be enough, but my desire to meet new people, share adventures of a lifetime, and serve Auburn pushed me to inquire about other opportunities that were not originally on my radar. I applied to be a part of a summer study abroad to Italy and Greece where I didn’t know a soul when I signed up, and after 4 weeks I made lifelong friendships. I participated as a volunteer in Nashville courtesy of Alternate Student Break Program, worked as a camp counselor at Camp Smile A Mile, and just this year became a Student Recruiter. My journey over the last four years has made me into the woman I am today. Quite simply, I LOVE Auburn because it’s more than a place on a map to me; it’s family and an undying spirit that resides inside my heart. It will forever be a part of who I am because of the amazing experiences I was a part of and the incredible professors, coaches, and advisors who all poured wisdom, strength and confidence into me. I will always believe in Auburn and love it!