Aside from my short stint as a Grandview Gator, I have been a Wildcat since middle school. The mascots of both my middle school and high school were of the feline persuasion, and I attended Kansas State University, home of the Wildcats!
I was raised to be Wildcat.
It didn’t hurt that I come from a family of K-State graduates. (Aside from my mom, who graduated from KU’s nursing program. However, that was never spoken of and ultimately ignored for the greater good of family peace and harmony.) My dad dressed me in purple from the moment I was born, and my kid brother got the same treatment. From the moment we moved to Kansas, we attended almost every home football game, every bowl game, and every K-State event in between. My aunts, uncles, and cousins all followed in the same tradition, and we were a unit of purple-wearing, wildcat-loving, alma mater-cheering K-State fans.
If you’re not from Kansas, it is important that I note here the rivalry between K-State and KU. My parents raised me to be a kind, caring, accepting person, but made sure I knew I could throw all of those qualities out the window if I ran into smack-talking KU fan. This was my childhood. This was our tradition. The good-natured fun of the rivalry was something I grew up loving and having fun with.
Then, the unthinkable happened: I decided to attend the University of Kansas School of Law.
When I was making the choice between law schools, my family was (mostly) supportive. They knew KU was the best law school in the area for me. So much so, that during the decision-making process they constantly stood in KU’s corner and advocated for me to enroll here. My dad even publically acknowledged his pride in me being accepted to KU. (Notice the profile picture that has not changed since he created his Facebook account).
(That’s as much of an endorsement as KU will ever get from him.)
Fast-forward to present: I am smack dab in the middle of my law school career at the University of Kansas, and I could not be happier with my choice. Outside of the law school, Lawrence holds so much charm and is so different from any other town I’ve ever visited in Kansas. It’s such a unique place to live, and I’m lucky to get to experience it.
Inside the law school, I’ve never stopped wearing my purple. I might be teased by a few friends, but the thing I enjoy the most about KU Law is how accepting both students and faculty are of all different personalities and backgrounds. It is truly a melting pot of all types of people from all over the United States. I’m lucky enough to work and learn in an atmosphere where the real treasure is the people I’m learning with and from. The professors are genuine (and loyal KU fans, I might add) and the students are open-minded and friendly.
I’m still rocking my K-State swag, along with my other classmates who are representing their own alma maters. We all give Green Hall a little piece of where we come from. There is camaraderie in what we’re doing here, and I couldn’t have picked a better community to do it in.
I’m still a wildcat, but KU doesn’t mind. In fact, I think they appreciate the diversity. Ultimately, KU was the best choice for me, and I have no regrets.
— Ashlyn Lindskog is a 2L and KU Law Student Ambassador.