Troy University

For most of my senior year of high school, I had no idea where I was going to end up for college.

I had a whole list of four or five colleges that highly interested me but my heart, and mind, still had not made the final decision. I wanted to travel for the first year after high school; so, I was torn there too.

But towards the end of senior year, it finally clicked: Troy University.

Troy University got its start on February 26, 1887. At the time of its opening, it was called Troy Normal School.

Troy Normal School was mainly just for training and educating up and coming teachers in Alabama. The school was located in downtown Troy before moving to its current location.

The university has undergone four name changes since the original name.

In 1929, it was renamed Troy State Teacher’s College. In 1931, the college gave out its first baccalaureate degree. In 1957, it was renamed to Troy State College and began the master’s degree program. In 1967, it was renamed to Troy State University. And on April 16, 2004, the university underwent its final name change and became Troy University.

The first two buildings built on the current campus location were Bibb Graves and Shackelford Hall. Bibb Graves is named after the governor of Alabama at the time. The campus landscape, at that time, was designed by the famed Olmsted Brothers architectural company from Brookline, Massachusetts.

Today, Troy University has five colleges within it: College of Arts & Sciences, College of Communications and Fine Arts, College of Education, College of Health and Human Services, and The Sorrell College of Business. I personally am in the College of Communications and Fine Arts. And love it.

The Troy campus has 12 residential halls, a dining center, an international arts museum, a bookstore, a park, sports fields, an indoor pool, frat row (and sorority hill right off campus), a chapel, a Confucius Institute, a lake, and around ten buildings where the students have classes. And that is just on the Troy University in the Troy, Alabama location.

The university has three locations in Alabama (Troy, Montgomery, Dothan) and many more throughout the United States and internationally.

The university has had quite a few famous people go through it. In jobs ranging from astronauts to professional football players to professional baseball players. And even a professional wrestler.

These past two years at Troy University have truly been wonderful so far. They have brought me new friends, new opportunities and new perspectives. If anyone reading this is looking for a college to attend, I highly recommend Troy University. Specifically the journalism department.