Imagine walking around campus and bumping into an Olympic gold medalist?! Well, that might be the case if you’re attending Auburn University this year! After a whirlwind Tokyo Olympics where she won a gold medal in the women’s gymnastics all-around, a silver medal in the women’s gymnastic team all-around, and a bronze medal in the women’s gymnastic uneven bars, Sunisa (Suni) Lee will be attending Auburn in the fall as a freshman. In fact, she’s already all moved in on campus!

Opening its doors in 1859 as a private liberal arts institution for men, Auburn University is located in Alabama and “is dedicated to improving the lives of the people of Alabama, the nation, and the world through forward-thinking education, life-enhancing research and scholarship, and selfless service.” Auburn allowed women to attend in 1892, making it the oldest four-year co-educational institution in the state and second oldest in the Southeast. 

Today, Auburn is most known as one of the few colleges holding a distinction of being a land, sea, and space grant institution, meaning they offer comprehensive scientific course programs in each area -- it was the first land-grant institution in the South because of the Morrill Act. It is home to roughly 30,700 students enrolled in the 2021-2022 academic year and offers more than 150 majors. Since 1856, Auburn University has awarded over 300,000 degrees and has an alumni network of over 45,000 members. 

In addition to their impressive educational offerings, the University is also known for their ranking in the SEC sports conference. Suni Lee will be competing on the women’s gymnastics team, being coached by Jeff Graba, who happens to be the twin brother of her longtime coach, Jess Graba. Lee will begin training in January and said she looks forward to getting settled into college life and letting her body heal after a grueling and successful Olympic run.

Congratulations to Suni Lee and best of luck your freshman year!

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