Story by: Meg Wallace
MONTEVALLO, Ala. – Unlike many high school students, Preston Bennett says he never had a dream college that he wanted to attend. The University of Montevallo, where he is now a junior, was far from his first choice. Preston looked at a number of other schools and even reached out to them about attending before he visited UM’s campus. During this process, he struggled to find the right place that fit his priorities.
Finding the Right Fit
Two things were most important to Preston when looking for a college home. The first was a place to hone his skills at Track and Field, and the second was a solid Mass Communication program. “I was looking for places where I could compete,” he says. Preston says he knew he wanted to be among a group of similarly skilled teammates. He found good Track and Field programs at other schools, but these schools didn’t have Mass Communication programs. He found one school that fit his expectations, but when he reached out to the coach, he got no response. This led him to The University of Montevallo.
Preston looked into The University of Montevallo’s Track and Field Team by visiting their website. Regarding the statistics of the team Preston says, “I looked at their numbers and saw that they were fairly similar to mine.” Pleased with the results, he turned to the Mass Communication program. Preston wants to pursue a career as a football commentator, so he was looking for a program that could help him reach that goal. After further investigation, he was satisfied with the potential education he could receive from UM. Alongside his mother, Preston scheduled a tour.
A Family Affair
While Preston found that The University of Montevallo would be a good home for him, it seemed it had also made an impression on someone else: his mother. She said that the campus was beautiful and a great choice for him. Little did Preston know that a few years later, he would share the campus with his mom.
Preston wanted the independence of leaving home for school. At the time, his family lived in Pensacola, Florida, a four hour drive from the University of Montevallo. This did not bother Preston; he wanted to experience college life on his own. “How am I going to be able to figure myself out in the real world if I don’t just go for it now?” Preston says.
However, during his sophomore year, his mother, Dr. Crystal Bennett, received an opportunity to work at The University of Montevallo as the dean of the College of Health Professions. He says he knew his mom loved UM too much to change her mind. Before he knew it, his family was moving from Pensacola to Pelham. “It came as a shock to me,” Preston says. He didn’t initially know how to feel about his mother having such an important role at his university. He didn’t want it to affect the way other students saw him. He also didn’t want to receive any benefits that he didn’t earn on his own. “I was kind of trying to wrap my head around it,” he says, “I left home for college, and now home’s coming to me.”
Since his mom has been on campus, however, Preston says things have been good. “It’s been really good having home close by.” He has the ability to see her more often, and things haven’t changed as much as he thought they might. He now goes to lunch with his mom on occasion and even visits her in her new office. Preston says he’s still able to be independent now that his mom is on campus. He still lives on his own and has his own responsibilities.
I left home for college, and now home’s coming to me.
Preston Bennett
Expectations vs. Reality
While his college journey was briefly disrupted, Preston says he doesn’t regret his decision to come to Montevallo. He is surprised by how much he has enjoyed attending the university. Preston has found opportunities relevant to his career since coming to UM, including the ability to commentate at high school football games. He says he’s gotten better at Track and Field through competitions and working alongside the other athletes on the team. He says opportunities like this came from the connections he’s made on a closeknit campus. Preston also says he’s made friendships at UM that will probably last long after he graduates. While he came to Montevallo with no clue what to expect, he found a home that has exceeded his expectations.
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