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Alyssa Barnes decided early in her life that UL Lafayette was where she wanted to major in criminal justice.

“UL Lafayette has been the only college I wanted to attend since I was a little girl and even the only college I applied to,” she said. “The diversity, culture, overall success of the college, and hearing great stories of the University’s programs, students, and faculty is what initially drew me into wanting to become a Ragin' Cajun.

"Before I got here, I knew UL Lafayette was home.”

When she came to the University looking for a home, she was not disappointed. 

“My favorite part about studying at UL Lafayette is the sense of home I feel,” she said. “While I don’t live on campus, the campus is an extension of my home and an overall safe and nonjudgmental environment to be in.”

Because of the environment on campus, Alyssa’s understanding of success and recognition has shifted.

“UL Lafayette has taught me a lot about the meaning of success,” she said. “Success can be as big as being publicly recognized for your hard work and participation at the University, or as small as your professor emailing you to congratulate you on your work in their class. 

“At UL Lafayette, nothing goes unnoticed,” she said. “Your success and hard work are commended by the Dean’s and President’s lists, scholarship opportunities, club memberships, honor society nominations, and even the opportunity like this to share your experience in attending the college.”

Alyssa says the people at UL Lafayette are a big part of the culture here.

“The faculty and staff go out of their way to make sure students are taken care of and performing to the best of their ability,” she said. “Failure at UL Lafayette is almost impossible with the amount of helping hands that are available to you.  

“The professors come from all different lines of work and have first-hand experience at what they teach,” she said. “So that makes the classes and lectures more interesting because we are retaining the information from both a scholarly and personal level. These professors work with us and ensure that we will have their guidance in the program.”

Along with the people on campus, Alyssa explains that student organizations are important to the University’s culture as well. She’s a member of the and , organizations that have helped Alyssa get valuable experience. 

 “These are awesome organizations that open doors to many scholarship opportunities, resume builders, field trips, and much more,” she said. 

“I recommend the Criminal Justice Society to criminal justice majors and minors because you end up befriending people in your field and it makes going through the college process much more exciting,” she said. “They also have guest speakers from all different fields who come and give presentations about their jobs and careers in the field of criminal justice.”

Overall, Alyssa has received a warm welcome from the University, and she wants other soon-to-be students to have that same experience.

“UL Lafayette is truly a place like no other,” she said. “It is a diverse college that has no problem in finding a spot for anyone to fit in and feel welcome."