Finding My Path
Growing up, I always thought I was going to be a sports reporter.
I had my heart set on it, ran a sports news account on Instagram for years, and was ready to take on the world and go into the field. As I continued to grow, though, I realized I don’t want to create a specific niche for myself. I fell in love with marketing in general, developing a passion for using my interpersonal skills to drive towards a positive end result. As somebody with an always-thinking and creative mind, it was the field that best fit me. However, I needed to figure out where to go that would give me the best chance to succeed in my passion.
In my sophomore year of high school, my math teacher had to take a leave of absence, and the long-term substitute that was fresh out of school would not stop raving about Western New England University. He wore the same gold “WNE” sweatshirt every casual Friday, and the logo became forever ingrained in my mind. Fast forward a couple of years, I had to make the biggest decision of my life and decide where I was going to school. When I was making my list of where to tour, I had to include Western New England University simply out of curiosity to see what my old math teacher was always talking about.
I took a visit and officially committed a week later. I loved the campus and the environment that came with it. I’ve spent three (almost four!) years here and am thankful I did. The faculty here have been such a pleasure to be with and have added so much to my education. Any professor at any school can give a good lecture and can have plenty of experience in the field you’re studying, but I’ve gotten to make some of the most important connections of my life with them. Some of them have helped me realize what I really want to do in my future, helped me apply to jobs and make connections in the workforce, and have given me the chance to grow as a person.
It’s not just the faculty and education that made me choose (and stay) here; it’s the community in general. It is extremely intimate here; you never know who you’re going to bump into at the dining hall or who will be in front of you at one of the D’Amour printers. At the dawn of my senior year, I chose to become an intern in the school’s marketing department, which has only reinforced these positive sentiments. Walking around and talking to other members of our friendly and inviting community is something that really is hard to replicate. Western New England University has become my second home, and I am so glad I’ve gotten the opportunity to make so many connections and get so many experiences out of here.