Each year, thousands of students are faced with the life-changing decision to choose and attend the college of their dreams.  For some, however, that decision takes them farther away from home than ever before.

Such was the case for Arts & Sciences senior Heartim Williams.  Williams is a native of the capital of the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands, Saipan.

Ironically enough, Williams had never heard of or visited the state of Nebraska before coming to school at Creighton either.

“Saipan is one of fifteen small islands that make up the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands-located just south of Japan,” Williams said.

Like Puerto Rico, Saipan and its neighboring islands that make up the commonwealth are technically part of the United States and classified as

unincorporated territories.

But despite the distance, Creighton’s reputation for academics reached far enough to pique the interest of at least one Saipan islander.  What attracted Williams initially to Creighton was the strong emphasis on the sciences along with the presence of a dental school.

“After figuring out that pre-dent wasn’t for me, I became interested in sports performance medicine,” Williams said. “I enjoy learning about how the body works and reacts.”

Now an exercise science major in the first semester of his senior year, Williams reflected positively on his decision to attend school in such a tremendously different (and

colder) place.

“I would have to say that I took a huge risk choosing Creighton, but life is not enjoyable unless you are taking risks,” Williams said. “I feel like I made the best out of an opportunity to do something totally different.”