Recent Albion College alum and English major Juan Rodriguez ’24 shared his love of Michigan and story of personal growth while a student at Albion in an opinion piece published this past Sunday in the Detroit Free Press.

In his reflective essay, titled “After attending college in Michigan, I’m determined to come back some day,” Rodriguez recounts how his time at Albion shaped his identity, describing his deep connection to Michigan, its natural beauty, and the Albion community.

He writes, “At Albion College, I found a place where I could take up as much space as I needed while I grew and developed as a young adult. Terrifying as it was, I shed the skin of my adolescence and opened myself up to everything that Michigan had to offer. In such a state, I found myself more receptive to the people trying to connect with me.”

He drawsa connection between the beauty of the landscapes and the close-knit community he experienced during his college years: “I would go to my classes and light up with joy the second two of my friends walked through the classroom door. I would leave that class talking with those friends and run into a third on the way to the dining hall, where we would all meet up with a fourth.”

Rodriguez’s narrative details how his formative years at Albion instilled in him a love for the simple pleasures of life—from spontaneous outings with friends to solitary walks in the Whitehouse Nature Center—reminding him that true connection lies in the shared moments that define a community. “I wish to part ways with what keeps me small, so that I may grow tall and wild,” he writes, capturing both the pain of leaving behind his childhood home in Texas and the hope for a vibrant future that includes a return to Michigan.

To read the full article and dive deeper into Rodriguez’s journey, visit the complete piece on the Detroit Free Press website.