The first time I set foot on AACC’s Arnold campus, I had no idea where my life was headed.

I remember thinking to myself: “Look, I have this passion for writing, clearly, and I’ve been doing it my entire life. So, do I pick up some skills at school and wing it as an author, or should I pursue journalism to seal a job, and then write on the side? Or should I dump it all because I’m scared of college math classes?”

By the end of my third semester at AACC, I had a detailed trajectory of where I was going and what I was going to do.

I knew how my life was going to play out career-wise down to the bone. I know what to expect with each five-year increment as I add on more career aspirations and discover more options for my insatiable appetite.

In short, I found my calling at AACC.

It’s not a four-year college, but AACC is by far the best substitute I have ever seen.

Soak in the environment, the staff and the buildings. You might just smile a little.

Not only is the campus beautiful and up-to-date, but its teachers are insistent on helping and nurturing the pupils. AACC’s quality of education is on-par with many four-year universities.

There are so many clubs, activities and events; it’s a wonder quality education could be so cheap.

But it is really the professors who make it shine.

A good teacher is a stepping stone in life, and because of AACC’s professors, I found my first rock poking out of the rushing river of life. You will, too.

Brad Dress is a junior at the University of Maryland, College Park. He was Campus Current’s associate editor and police reporter during the 2016-17 school year.