Read More from Skylar
How I got involved: I initially came to UConn as an out of state student and I was committed to being a UConn Athlete. After becoming overwhelmed with my demanding school/practice schedule and having to turn down opportunities for my major, I decided to leave UConn
Athletics in the late spring of my freshman year. From that moment onward, I knew I wanted to become more involved within the UConn community. I applied to work at several Cultural Centers and landed a job at the Rainbow Center during my sophomore year. I am currently the lead event coordinator and promoter for the Rainbow Center’s Annual Drag Show. I get to work with a team to recruit and scout local performers for our show, as well as connect with international performers and their agencies. During my junior year, I applied for a second job that would be more related to my major and I started working for the Department of Student Activities as a student graphic designer. I mainly focus on the promotion of UConn’s Late Night, so if you see the colorful posters for Late Night around the Student Union, I’m the one who
designed them!
Advice for students new to campus: Be flexible with whatever life throws at you. Don’t come into college with a plan that is set in stone on how you think you are going to succeed during your academic career. I thought I was going to play sports all four years of college, get a degree, and that was it. But I changed my path to a different one that just felt more appropriate for the experiences I wanted to have in college. Now I have two wonderful jobs, am a full time student, and I could not be
Read More from Kelleigh
How I got involved: Coming to UConn, especially as an out of state student, I knew that making friends would be a challenge. I immediately turned to soccer as it had always been the easiest way for me to make friends. Freshman year, I tried out for the Club Soccer team and unfortunately, I was cut. This was devastating but, I could not let it define my next four years. I immediately took the opportunity to join UConn Recreation though intramurals and the gym where I made numerous friends. Then Sophomore year, I tried out for the Club Team again and finally made it! Over the next three years I became extremely involved and joined the Club Sports Council, became captain and treasurer of my team, and even began working for Club Sports. In the moment, you may not realize how far your involvement can reach but, while interviewing for full-time positions I was told that I was hired due to my involvement with Recreation. If I had let not making the team deter me from being involved, my path at UConn would have been completely different. There are always going to be disappointments in life, but it is how you overcome them that defines you.
Advice for students new to campus:Find something at UConn that makes you happy. Take those classes that are outside of your major just because you find the subject interesting. Go to the involvement fair and find your passion among the hundreds of clubs. Study Abroad and fall in love with an entirely different culture. It may seem overwhelming at first because everything is new, but no matter what you get involved in at UConn, it will be worth it!
Read More from Carl
How I got involved: UConn has always been my dream school since I was a child. When I received my acceptance letter I was committed to get involved right away. I come from a large high school where I was involved in both sports and clubs. I brought my experience from high school and tried to get involved right away since I knew UConn had so much to offer. I decided to live off-campus after my Sophomore year. It has been such an invaluable experience which has taught me to grow as an adult. There are a lot more responsibilities living off-campus but I am now well-equipped, post-graduation. Even though I moved off-campus I was motivated to stay involved through working at Off-Campus Student Services (OCSS). OCSS showed me the importance of being involved on-campus, as well as the struggles commuter students face.
Advice for students new to campus:Get involved right away. UConn is a big campus, but you can make it small if you find your niche. UConn has so many opportunities no matter what you are interested in. You only have so much time here at UConn, so I heavily encourage getting involved as soon as possible. I’ve grown so much since my freshman year because of my involvement in the co-ed professional business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi. I’ve met so many people that I can call my friends for life.
Read More from Jessica
How I got involved: I grew up in a small town in New Hampshire where I started to feel disconnected from the community as I got older. Coming to UConn as an out of state student, I was most excited about a new start and meeting a large community of people. I began my freshman year living in the Human Rights and Action Learning Community. This proved to be a great decision because it introduced me to
Community Outreach, which has become my home for the past two years. My opportunities as a participant in different programs such as Alternative Breaks and weekly volunteering, as well as continued leadership experience have transformed my time at UConn and given me a sense of community that I no longer had in my home town. These experiences then gave me the confidence to apply for other leadership opportunities. I now am involved with UConn Empower, Four Arrows, and the Human Rights Institute Fellowship program. Throughout my continued involvement, there were so many moments where I questioned if I was qualified for these positions. As I began my leadership at a younger age, working with older students was quite intimidating. However, thanks to the confidence given to me through the friends I’ve made, the experiences I’ve had, and the community I’ve become connected with, I’ve grown as a person and a leader.
Advice for students new to campus:At the risk of sounding cliché, don’t have regrets. To quote a phenomenal woman, Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” Apply for that job or leadership position you don’t think you’re qualified for - it may create friendships and opportunities you never could have dreamed of. I certainly wouldn’t be the same person I am today if I hadn’t followed that advice. UConn is full of incredible people and opportunities but you must be the one to step up and take advantage of them.
Read More from Kerri
How I got involved: When I came to UConn, I was overwhelmed by the sudden feeling of being a very small fish in a very large pond. I went from being a top-of-the-class high school student, to a painfully average college student. The transition from “big fish” to “little fish” hit me much harder than I was expecting. However, things started to turn around for me when I did the thing everyone tells you to do at college: I got involved. My freshman year I got involved with Community Outreach, and found my “home away from home”. This community of dedicated students and staff welcomed me with open arms, and has provided me with job-related experience in my field, leadership opportunities, and priceless connections within the communities surrounding UConn. By stepping outside of my comfort zone and challenging myself, I was able to find my place on this campus.
Advice for students new to campus: Feeling overwhelmed at first is normal, and it gets better. Take advantage of resources, open your mind to new experiences, and always go after new opportunities as they come to you. But in doing so, always keep in mind that self-care is
important! It is great to challenge yourself, but it is also easy to get lost in whatever you get involved in. Practice self-care in order to put your best self forward when trying new things!
Read More from Priyanka
How I got involved: I was so eager to start college. I imagined myself being involved in a myriad of activities, just like in high school. I went to the Involvement Fair and spent close to two hours there signing my email for practically every other club. However, joining “everything” did not go as planned, as my courses were extremely demanding and in early October I learned that one of my friends had passed away. These two things were overwhelming and I often felt helpless wandering in my own loneliness. At this point I was thinking of transferring if things didn’t get better. (Luckily they did.) That winter, I went on my first Alternative Break. It was one of the best experiences I’ve had and I truly made fifty-one new friends on the trip! Then in March, I went on another one and made another eighteen friends. I also became more involved in the Undergraduate Student Government and a bunch of other organizations. During my second semester, I began to familiarize myself with UConn and make it my home. My Leadership Learning Community truly helped me become involved with many of the activities at UConn, as I received advice from wiser individuals.
Advice for students new to campus: So, things may not go as planned but it doesn’t mean that it won’t get better. As much as you think you are alone on campus, you are 110% NOT. If you get lonely, realize that it’s a common thing that everyone feels being away from home, but the best way to tackle it is to do something about it. I would definitely say to get involved in something so you don’t spend your time in your room. Go out and meet new people because this is the best time to. Soon you’ll find yourself studying and eating with new friends and you won’t feel so lonely anymore. Lastly, use the resources around you and ask questions. People want to help you but you have to be willing. College is something extremely new and different but don’t be afraid, you’ve got this!
Read More from Jordane
How I got involved: Once I arrived at UConn Avery Point as a freshman, I was dedicated to redefining myself and finding what I was good at. I was a part of the Husky Ambassadors program, where I could work with the University as well as surrounding town programs. The combination of giving tours of the campus and doing community outreach gave me great insight. When I came to Storrs I wanted to continue to capitalize on the opportunities outside of class. While I was new to the campus and didn’t know many people, I was able to get involved thanks to connections I had made. This year I served as the Schola2rs House Learning Community’s floor mentor, worked with kids in Hartford through Husky Sport, attended conferences, and spoke on panels. While academics are my number one priority, I won’t let it be the only thing I get out of this University.
Advice for students new to campus: Take nothing for granted – especially being a college student. You may never get the opportunity to make a lasting impact like this again. If you try and fit in with ideals and values you don’t personally agree with, you will never find your path. While it is not easy to juggle school, work, and involvement, enjoy doing things you are passionate about. I encourage you to make the most of the opportunities offered here. They have given me long-term character development while giving me an everyday purpose!
Read More from Nicholas
How I got involved: I first lived in the Leadership Learning Community my freshman year. Despite this, I struggled my first year since I did not fully take advantage of the many opportunities offered on campus. I did not recognize at first that involvement not only helped socially, but could boost your academic success, as well. I grappled with the transition into college, and fell into some trouble at the University. But, when I decided to join the Men’s Rugby Team my second semester, I was able to learn to be disciplined in handling the various time commitments there are in college, while also being welcomed by a group of people I now consider to be my closest friends. I went home that summer thinking of ways to get more involved on campus. Sophomore year I hit the ground running. I founded two cultural organizations with my friends, began working with Community Standards, and explored various career-based clubs, including a co-ed business fraternity (Pi Sigma Epsilon), and the Connecticut Investors Association. Now, I am the President of the Rugby Team and Turkish Student Association.
Advice for students new to campus: You can always find time in the day to do something, but you have to prioritize and take chances. Someone saying, “I don’t have time” means, “it is not a priority.” You have to come into college prioritizing your goals and ambitions, and by doing that, you will find time to do all of the things you want to do, like get good grades, make new friends, etc. Make sure you give people and new experiences a chance at UConn. There is always a new friend to be made or something to learn about. I discovered
what I want to do with my career by joining new clubs, I’ve found my best friends and most importantly, I have found out who I am, and who I am not through involvement at UConn.