May 6, 2017 2 min read

In 2014, I was attending community college and decided to transfer to a university to study geology.

I chose to attend California University of Pennsylvania for a multitude of reasons. The affordability of Cal U was a major factor in my decision, as was the proximity to where I was living at the time. But the main reason I chose Cal U was the size of its classes. All my life, I had attended small schools, and Cal U provided a level of attention from my professors that fostered a great learning environment.

I thrived with the ability to effectively communicate with my classmates and professors without any of the intimidation that comes with being in a large lecture hall. There were also ample opportunities to travel and attend professional conferences, which helped the evolution of my education and professional career. It was at a professional geology conference where I met my graduate-school adviser with whom I am now working at West Virginia University.

The combination of affordability with great professors and small class sizes offered an environment where I could thrive as a student. I was fortunate to have a great group of people supporting me, and I am very thankful for everyone at Cal U who helped me along the way. Pennsylvania must do all it can to preserve these opportunities for future students at all 14 of our state-owned universities.

John Pilewski

Morgantown, W.Va.

Pilewski is a graduate teaching assistant in the Department of Geology and Geography at West Virginia University.