The beauty of being a T-Loc

Growing up in Tucson and being in a Wildcat family has had many perks since I started at the University of Arizona. While many out-of-state kids are still learning everything they need to know about UA and Tucson in general, I pretty much know everything you need to know about both of them. I am a Tucson Local or a “T-Loc”, as they would call me.

The first week of school, UA had the entire freshmen class come together at McKale Center for a welcoming meeting. They included what cheers to do at the football games, teaching the fight song and all of the things every student would need to know. As I was sitting there with some friends I went to school with, we gladly would sing along to the fight song simply because we knew the song. We have known the song since elementary school because this is where we grew up. We looked around and laughed because only the in-state kids were singing along as everyone else stared at the band in awe.

The people who often grew up in Tucson and then go to the U of A get questioned as to why we decided to stay in our hometown. Of course it would have been nice to go out-of-state but I mean, who would not want to go to the University of Arizona? The campus is beautiful, the atmosphere is energetic and the overall school is excellent. On top of going to a beautiful school, I am also 20 minutes away from home which means I can go see my family if I need a break from school.

College Game Day at the University of Arizona 2015

I also enjoy being able to help out my peers when they have no idea where to go for food off campus or where the nearest Target is. Since a lot of people I have met are from out-of-state, I like to be able to help them when it comes to navigating through Tucson. My roommate is from Washington so I am always telling her which restaurants are amazing or which malls we could go to.

I have been to all of the games, I have plenty of alumni in my family and I even went to College Game Day last year when we played against UCLA. I was there with my friend at three o’clock in the morning waiting to cheer on my future school. Since I grew up surrounded by my family who loves the U of A, I know what they have to offer to their students education-wise and socially.

Growing up in Tucson has also given me an advantage to those who did not because I understand the weather, I know Arizona has some of the most amazing sunsets, I know of Eegee’s, I know my way around town so I am not lost like a lot of new kids on campus. I was never hanging out by the U of A so finding my classes and learning my way through the streets and the campus in general was difficult at first, but I am also familiar with the city of Tucson which a lot of students are not.

Sunset in Tucson, Ariz.

Many T-Locs get questioned as to why they decide to stay home instead of going somewhere else. Quite honestly, I love this school. My entire life I have loved it and as I got older I got more excited knowing that I would most likely end up at this university. The U of A is such a special place because there are so many diverse people on this campus and they have a lot to offer to every individual. Picking the University of Arizona is the smartest decision I ever made and I would not have it any other way.