More than 500 miles separate Horton, Michigan, from Towson, Maryland. For Lily Walton, those miles represented more than a change in scenery. They represented possibility.

With a population of fewer than 1,000 people, Horton is a place where Walton felt limited in what she could accomplish if she stayed close to home.

“I graduated high school a year early, and being in Michigan I just felt like there wasn’t much opportunity for me,” Walton says. “When I visited TU, it just had a great vibe. It had the bright, lively, open campus that I was looking for.”

Walton’s father lives in Maryland, so she took a chance and moved in with him to be closer to a larger metro area. After visiting several colleges in the state, TU stood out the most. Its open and green campus, access to student services and welcoming, inclusive community provided the perfect contrast to her small-town childhood.

“[At] other schools it felt like all they cared about was classes,” Walton says. “When I was at Towson University it seemed like they cared about you. It felt like they were saying, ‘We are going to make this a good experience while you’re living here.’”

Lily Walton posing at Freedom Square

Transitioning to TU

Moving from a small town to a large college campus could have been nerve-wracking. Instead, Walton jumped right into her new college home.

She joined her residence hall’s building council, helped with TU’s Food Recovery Program and is set to become a resident assistant in Glen Towers.

“I was so anxious when I got here, but I was also just ready to put myself out there,” she says. “I was waiting to get to this next chapter, and I wanted to take advantage of it and really do everything I could.”

She joined clubs focused on helping the community and one that surprised her: TU’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu club. Coming from a physically active family, Walton wanted to stay in shape while avoiding activities with a higher risk of head injury because of her father's history of concussions.

I was expecting certain opportunities to come my way. But I didn't expect to be doing research for public health. I didn’t expect to be in a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu club. Everything that’s happened to me at TU has exceeded the expectations I had.

Lily Walton

After attending the annual student involvement fair, she met with members of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu club, who welcomed her with open—and throwing—arms.

She’s also helping the club grow. Initially, Walton and her roommate were the only two female members. Now, the club has a female coach and nearly 10 women members.

Coming from her small town, she never thought that a martial arts club would be a key piece of her life. Now, she couldn’t imagine her TU experience without it.

“Doing [Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu] has help me grow as a person,” Walton says. “It genuinely has become such a centerpiece of my life in such an amazing way, and I never would have guessed that would have happened.”

Lily Walton working at the Towson University Urban Farm
Lily Walton posing with the Towson University Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Lily Walton has gotten involved in multiple activities while at TU. This includes volunteering with Impact TU (left) and being part of Towson University's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu club. 

Helping people

Walton arrived at TU undecided on her major, exploring several options before settling on the psychology program in the College of Liberal Arts. Her family helped point her toward her academic path.

Over the years, she had worried that her dad might have chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Wanting to understand more about how CTE affects mental health, Walton decided to study psychology.

Lily Walton studying in a Towson University academic room
Along with studying psychology, Walton is doing research on public health.

“I’m at the point where there are so many options in front of me and it’s exciting to be able to sit down and figure out what’s next,” Walton says. “It just feels like I’m in the right place. I'm also getting to really expand my knowledge base and try out these new opportunities.”

At TU, she’s already started growing her passion for research. While taking an introductory public health course, Walton learned about a summer research study from assistant professor Laura Kroart.

As a public health minor, Walton jumped at the chance to get research experience, and now she is helping with a study examining high school students’ attitudes and behaviors toward Narcan, a medicine that is used to help reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

“I get that experience and I get that ability to start making a change,” Walton says. “I was nervous going in, because I’ve never done research before. But sitting down with Dr. Kroart I was like, ‘I can do this.’

“I was expecting certain opportunities to come my way. But I didn't expect to be doing research for public health. I didn’t expect to be in a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu club. Everything that’s happened to me at TU has exceeded the expectations I had.”