Just last week, North High Junior Lauren Stenman was giddy as she announced that she had officially committed to Lewis University in Illinois.

When it came to choosing the college, the decision came easy. Stenman is a star volleyball player here at North, and was eager to join Lewis’s well respected volleyball program! “I felt more comfortable at that campus than the others I had visited. I felt like I connected more with the players and coaches and I just felt really good about being there. It also was a great school for what [major] I wanted to go into.”

Not only was her heart totally in it, the college offered her a really good deal that made her decision easier. “The offer was almost a full ride. Lewis is an expensive school so I’m very grateful for the offer I received.”

As a senior still struggling with the college search process, it sounds crazy to hear about a junior committing to a college, but Lauren says she has multiple junior friends in the same place she is.

“I am not worried at all about committing as a junior. I think it’s a little easier to make a decision junior year because you ave some time and don’t need to rush so you can think about your decision a little more. It feels great. I’m happy to be done with my recruiting process but I’m extremely happy with the college I chose.”

Stenman feels very grateful to have an amazing support system around her. “My family and friends have all been very supportive of me. My parents and coaches more than anyone. They have really helped me along in my process and helped me to stay calm when it gets overwhelming.”

Since Stenman is younger than the majority of students committing to colleges, you might be wondering how deep into the college search process she got before choosing Lewis.

”I was pretty far into the process. Lewis was my 3rd visit. I went to Minnesota-Duluth and North Dakota State University before and was planning on visiting University of North Dakota. I was talking with a few other schools but decided that they weren’t the best fit for me.”

For Stenman, her final decision came easy. However, that isn’t the case for everyone.

When asked what advice she would give to fellow students looking into colleges, Stenman replied, “Try to look at a few schools outside your comfort zone. Lewis is somewhat far from home and I didn’t want to go super far away. So take time to look at every option closely because something might work out that you never thought would.”