So I Wanna Be a Frog Camp Facilitator…

About Me

Hi! I’m Hailey Bunde, a freshman Strategic Communications major, with a writing minor, from Lincoln, Nebraska. I am the middle child, but I love having both a younger brother, and an older brother. My parents are both teachers-turned-librarians, so it’s no surprise I’ve always liked school, especially reading and writing (hence the writing minor). I’m from the home of the Cornhuskers, and grew up surrounded by sports, which lead me to my Strat Comm degree, which I hope to use when I work with a collegiate or professional athletics team. While I grew up watching my brothers play sports, I myself chose to spend every moment at my dance studio. I danced for 15 years of my life, and at the studio, I found my friends, my passion, and my safe haven.

Why I Chose TCU

My older brother, Marcus, is a senior here at TCU. My cousin is a junior, and his girlfriend, who is like family, is a sophomore. It was only natural that I would explore TCU as a future school. My first tour of TCU was in eighth grade, and I toured the school two more times after that. Through those tours, as well as visiting Marcus, I was able to really experience the culture of TCU.

What I loved most about TCU was how much TCU seemed to love me, as self-centered as it seems. I worked very closely with my admissions counselor, David Stein, and he was always willing to respond to my hundreds of emails.

But what stuck out even more to me was how excited Marcus’ friends were to add me to the Frog family. A few weeks after I was accepted to TCU, Marcus’ friend and fraternity brother, Ryker, sent me a small gift, and a hand-written note congratulating me on my acceptance. So many of Marcus’ friends, some of whom I’d never even met, reached out to me with congratulations and their phone numbers, in case I needed anything at all. It was in these genuine moments that I knew TCU was different. TCU was about community, and every member of the Horned Frog family was proud and excited to share their school with others.

Why I Love TCU

There are so many reasons I love TCU, but I will try to highlight just a few.

As nerdy as it sounds, I LOVE the school part of TCU! Had it not been for the liberal arts curriculum, I would not have taken two of my favorite classes last semester. I absolutely loved my religion class and my honors class last semester, and I formed genuine connections with my professors. Additionally, I absolutely adore living in the Honors dorm. I have met most of my best friends this year simply because they live a few doors down.

I am a member of Alpha Chi Omega, and I love the girls that I was able to meet through AXO that I may have never met otherwise. The girls in my chapter encourage me to be strong women, and had it not been for the encouragement of my big and grandbig, I may not be here interviewing for Frog Camp.

I also am training to be a member of the Student Foundation. Having the opportunity to work with both prospective students and alumni has helped me appreciate being a TCU student even more. It is humbling to think that I could help a student make the best choice of their life by attending TCU.

I love the beautiful campus at TCU, and the beautiful weather that both allow me to study outside. I love every moment of football Saturdays. I love that there is always something to do, whether it’s watching a movie or hearing a speaker on diversity, or seeing a comedian.

Why I Want to be a Frog Camp Facilitator

One thing that I, like a lot of freshmen, struggled with, was the abundance of options presented to me in college that I had never encountered in high school. It sometimes felt like everyone else was going out, drinking, having sex, and if I wasn’t, I wasn’t having fun. I know that this is something a lot of other freshmen struggle with, and is something we talk about at Frog Camp. If I could be a source of guidance to other freshmen, I hope I could give the advice I wanted so badly to hear just a few months ago.

Coming to TCU, I was excited for so much, but, like most freshmen, I was scared to leave behind my friends, family, and boyfriend. And I won’t lie, the first few months of college were difficult for me. I allowed myself to throw a bit of a pity party, and didn’t interact with people the way I should have. I know how hard moving to college can be, and I want to make future Horned Frogs’ freshmen year so special. I want to be someone freshmen can reach out to, but more importantly, I want to be the one reaching out to freshmen when they need it. I love TCU now, and I want to share the school I love with others.

Last week, one of my professors said, “There is no better time to be a TCU student than right now.” I could not agree more. I truly don’t believe you find people, activities, and community like you do at TCU, and I want to help make other students’ four years at TCU the best they can be.

I hope y’all would consider letting me have the privilege of being a Frog Camp facilitator!