What made you decide to come to UNCW and what keeps you here?

Well, I needed an education. And this is, you know, originally was as good a place as any, in terms of getting one. But I’ve certainly come to appreciate my time here; it is much more fascinating to actually have teachers that want to be here. I’ve been to a couple of community colleges, and the teachers there simply don’t seem as involved with their students and they don’t seem as excited about the work. You could definitely tell that there’s a lot more love for being a scholar place, and that’s something that really resonates very well with me. I’ve very much enjoyed my time here in spite of it just starting out as being a school to go to.

So you say the quality of the professors has influenced your time here?

Yeah, absolutely. I went to Johnston Community College and Wake Tech before. The professors there were different.  There was nothing particularly wrong with the way they taught or anything, but you could kind of just tell that they were cashing out a paycheck. The professors I’ve talked to here, and the way that they teach, you can definitely tell that they’re much more animated, much more involved, much more prideful and interested in what you’re trying to do with your work and education. And that appeals to me, very greatly.

If there was one thing that you would have done differently in your time at UNCW so far, what would it be?

I would have paid more attention to my degree audit. I was behind on course credits, I had gotten the actual requirements down. Unfortunately, my course credits are a little bit behind. So, I’m having to take a full course load this year to make up for that. But that’s more of a personal screw up. I guess if I were to be more personal about it, what I would have changed is probably getting involved with some club or society and become a part of that community.

I show up to go to school, then I go to work, and then that’s basically that. My involvement with the social activities around here is very limited. Not for a lack of trying, you know, work tends to get in the way, that sort of thing. So, yeah, I guess that’s what I would have wished that I’d have done. There’s still time to do it, obviously. It’s something that I would like to work on. I guess it’s just a matter of finding the time and also overcoming my own willingness or lack thereof, rather, to actually go and do it.

If you could give advice to a future UNCW student, what would it be?

Still enjoy yourself. Honestly, I think you learn better when you are enjoying yourself. So go out there, have fun, meet people. Do stuff on campus that isn’t always pertaining to classes, but take those good vibes with you when you do go into class. Because you come to realize, again, it’s that holistic experience that you’re paying to be here and to learn and to make friends and to forge connections to help you kind of find your way. The big world doesn’t expect you to enjoy yourself, the big world doesn’t expect you to have fun along the way. If you can do it, then cool on you. That’s not what it asks of you, though. So while you’re here, and while you have the opportunity to do so, absolutely enjoy yourself, have fun with it. And I think you’ll find your experience here all the rich for it even inside the classroom or outside the classroom.

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