Dear Sterling College,

I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you. Thank you for letting me grow in the short time I have been there. Thank you for all the wonderful people I have met. Thank you for letting me get away with stealing Sputnik. Thank you for the life long friends that I have been blessed with. Thank you for the opportunities to discover myself and the world around me. Thank you for letting me let go to what I have called home for the past two years. I know it will be difficult not heading east on the 70 this fall, but the only reason that I would stay is because of the people. You must know that if I returned to you, I would be the only returning music major. You must know that the music department is in transition and it will eventually rebuild itself, but I don't want to be in a place where it is not letting me grow. I need something stable. I need something challenging. I need support of other music majors and the support of professors. After all, I am in college and I would like to learn. This place that will meet my needs is much further away from you, actually, 1,525 miles away. The town of Sterling, Kansas was a great experience, but I feel like the city of Spokane, Washington will help me discover myself. No hard feelings Sterling, but it will be easier for me to grow musically in a place with just about half a million people instead of a few thousand. I hope you understand. There might never be a chance for me to walk on your campus again, but don't worry, you will not be forgotten. Just give understanding to all the people that I have met there and hopefully they will be able to support me in this decision. It will be difficult, but you can't just go to a school because of the people. There needs to be more. I believe I have found more. It just involves a different equation. Thank you Sterling College, but now it is time for me to attend Whitworth University.

Best wishes,

Travis Wicklund