For many BYU students who were not surrounded by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints growing up, moving to Provo was a big change from what they were used to.
Three students from states with low member populations shared what it was like coming to BYU after being one of the only members in their high school.
“I was used to standing alone,” Alexis Romney, a BYU student who lived in Arkansas during her high school years, said.
Romney said she was one of two members at her high school, and there was only one other person who came to BYU from her area.
Alisa Burt, a BYU student from Oklahoma, said that being one of the only members in her high school was difficult, but had an upside as well.
“There’s no benefit of being a member of the church in Oklahoma because you get hated on by everybody,” Burt said. “If you’re a member, you’re really firm in your faith.”
Kate Sawaya, who is from Kansas, agreed that living in a state with a low percentage of Church members can be a positive thing.
“In high school, I liked being able to talk and interact with people who were raised differently and believe differently than me,” Sawaya said.
Romney agreed that being surrounded by so many different people was a great opportunity.
“It was fun getting to experience different cultures and meeting diverse people," Romney said. "I had some really cool opportunities that I don't think I would have gotten anywhere else."
According to the Church Newsroom, there are 39,793 Church members in Kansas, which is approximately 1.35 percent of the state’s total population.
Total Church membership in Oklahoma is 52,844 members, about 1.30 percent of the state population.
Arkansas is home to 36,630 Church members, about 1.20 percent of the state population.
When these students moved to Utah to attend BYU, it was a big change for them, especially socially.
While Sawaya said she misses the diversity of people she met in Kansas, she also said that being part of such a supportive, positive community has been great.
“It provides a community that makes living away from home a lot easier,” she said.
Burt said that she appreciates the common values of BYU.
“In my high school, everyone drank and did drugs all the time, so I like not having to be surrounded by that,” Sawaya said.
Burt also said that this new social aspect can be distracting at times.
“There’s never been a social benefit of going to church for me, but I come here and it is,” Burt said. “It’s really easy to get caught up in the social aspect of church here.”
These students agree that while the experience of coming to BYU from a state with few members can be both exciting and overwhelming, the best part is still the people they've met.
“There are many opportunities to interact and engage with classmates and faculty who share common values and work to lift each other up,” Romney said.