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SALT LAKE CITY — Kaitlynn Lovelady, a student at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, was looking for a change of pace when she tried to apply to South Louisiana Community College (SLCC) and found that she had accidentally applied to Salt Lake Community College instead.
Lovelady tweeted her mistake out on social media and received an unexpectedly uproarious response from Utahns. People across the state tweeted back to her, calling the mistake the best decision she has ever made.
I just applied to SLCC for summer class only to realize it’s Salt Lake Community College in SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH instead of SOUTH LOUISIANA COMMUNITY COLLEGE. GOODBYE $40!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
— Kaitlynn A. Lovelady (@KaitlynnLovelad) February 27, 2019
One of her responses came from Utah Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, who tweeted, “Kaitlynn, we don’t know each other but trust me when I tell you that might be the best $40 you’ve ever spent.”
Salt Lake Community College also replied:
For the record, Kaitlynn, Salt Lake Comminity College and our gorgeous mountains welcome you. But if you decide to geaux (see what we did there?) to the other SLCC, we would gladly refund you for your application fee.
— Salt Lake CC (@SaltLakeCC) March 1, 2019
Lovelady’s tweet became viral and a local individual, who wished to remain anonymous, purchased her a ticket to Salt Lake City from April 12-14. They wanted to give her the chance to experience Utah for herself.
The purchaser has coordinated with Salt Lake Community College and a number of people from the state, who plan to roll out the red carpet for her arrival.
“We’re going to pull out all the bells and whistles and make sure she gets to see all of campus and our facilities,” Sarah Reale, the director of digital marketing for SLCC, told KSL.com. “We’re going to plan on having a bunch of resources and things available for her so when she comes she can experience what it’s like at Salt Lake Community College.”
The two SLCCs are now competing with each other via social media using the hashtags: #RecruitKaitlynn and #KeepKaitlynninLA.
Reale called the lighthearted rivalry “a friendly and supportive interaction” between two community colleges who both are all about access and support for students.
“I think it’s all a really fun and cool story about a community coming together, a student having the opportunity to see a place she’s never been to, and everyone just kind of rallying behind this student’s goals in higher education,” Reale said.
