Aliyah Freeman didn’t choose Auburn. The junior information systems management major from Atlanta says it was actually the opposite — Auburn chose her.

“It was my junior year of high school when I feel like Auburn really chose me,” she said. “There were lots of really great universities all around me and I had a list of 10 or so that I was considering. And then suddenly, everyone I met and every place I went, I only saw Auburn.”

Initially, she knew very little about Auburn and then her aunt married an Auburn alumnus. She met Auburn alumni at the grocery store. She saw countless Auburn license plates, flags and decals she had never seen before, and people randomly talked about Auburn with her. Deciding perhaps she should investigate the campus she was clearly being guided to, Freeman signed up for a tour. As was the case for generations of Auburn students before her, once she visited the Loveliest Village on the Plains, she was hooked.

“I toured Auburn, loved the school and campus, and received an early acceptance decision,” she said. “I was set on Auburn.”

The Auburn Family's support

For Freeman, a first-generation college student, acceptance was just the first step. Financial support wasn’t only essential to ensure she could attend, but also to create the uniquely Auburn student experience.

“Scholarships have had an incredible impact on my experience at Auburn,” she said, “With this support, I’m able to enjoy being a student, focus on pursuing my academic goals and prepare for my future career.”

COVID-19 had an impact on her high school years, so Freeman was determined to get involved and make the most of her college years. Auburn is custom-made for that kind of determination.

 “If you only go to class and home then you’re probably not going to have a good experience,” she said. “But if you find the clubs, activities and people you bond with then that can change everything.”

Freeman found her place in the Black Student Union, as a resident assistant in University Housing and as a member of the Harbert College of Business Executive Society, the college’s official student host group. But even more than her involvement, Auburn’s unique culture and traditions have created a home away from home for her.

“Tradition is a big part of what I love most about Auburn,” she said. “Going to football games and embracing the traditions have been so much fun. My friends and I also go to the UPC Fall Festival and Spring Festival on the Campus Green every year. It’s also just the friendly and welcoming culture at Auburn. I saw it even before I was a student and now that’s something I really take pride in. 

Generous donor support for students through scholarships and programs ensures that students like Freeman have an opportunity to not just attend Auburn, but also to experience Auburn. Filled with gratitude, she counts meeting one of her scholarship donors among her favorite Auburn experiences.

“I was able to have lunch with one of my scholarship donors,” she said. “It’s one of those things I will always remember. Making that connection and getting to talk with the person who was kind and generous enough to make this scholarship possible — I’m never going to forget that. I hope every donor has an opportunity like that to meet the students they’ve impacted.”

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