IMC Hawks Blog

Category: Graduation

  • The University of Never-ending Catastrophes in Wilmington

    The University of Never-ending Catastrophes in Wilmington

    What we’re experiencing now is unexplainable. I am a senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and have survived at least two disasters every year since starting in 2016. What is it like to choose a university that continuously experiences disaster after disaster? Beautiful Chaos.

    From the first semester, the class of 2020 should’ve seen what was coming. After experiencing the 2016 election when multiple professors canceled classes for a week in disappointment, came hurricane Mathew, hurricane Maria, hurricane Michael, hurricane Florence, hurricane Dorian, and now the coronavirus. The Spring 2020 class will not walk across the stage commemorating their achievements in May; they will not have their last look at the campus after their final, final. The class of 2020 will look back and remember the time of their final semester at the university they chose and love, closing and sending them off two months early. But I wouldn’t change my university for anything.

    In the words of Kourtney Kardashian “Kim, there are people dying;” trust me, we all know how selfish we sound right now. We get it people are dying and the world is going through a pandemic, but for one second can’t we just mourn the loss of our senior spring semester? I am now 21 years old, living at home, finishing class online with my two boomer parents who would like nothing more than for me to “walk the dog, vacuum the kitchen, and if you’ve got time could you empty the dishwasher?” I’m supposed to be at school. I was supposed to be going to beach bars every Thursday until I graduate and have to be an adult. Where are my friends and why does my dad keep spraying me with Lysol?!

    What I can say about this experience so far is, it is terrible. If I wanted online classes I would’ve enrolled in online classes. Every professor is using a different form of communication. Why? Some are on Slack, some have their own website, some are on Zoom, and some are on Canvas. A bit of advice for the university, if this does happen again, make all professors use one outlet of communication because checking four different outlets is crazy and I’m tired. I want to be in my perfect building of Leutze laughing at something Dr. Olsen wrote in an email or how long Dr.Weber’s emails always are.

    Online courses are death, and I mean that. Who on Earth wants to sit in the same room all day and do homework? Who’s idea was this? I want to walk to Leutze and sit in a class of students and complain about having to be there. Do you want to know why I want that? Because no one was actually mad they were there. Everyone was thrilled to leave their apartments and see their friends that they never saw outside class. The only part of the complaints I can actually say was true, was group projects and if you say you liked them then you were the slacker that made everyone hate them.

    In the last two weeks, I have gone from spring break to quarantine spring break, moved out of my dorm, moved home, and started a semester online. During this very busy time I have had little time to think, but when I did, I thought of my time at UNCW. I know this will sound crazy, especially if you aren’t a senior, but I miss walking to class. I found a university that was so much my home that I dreaded graduation. I hated summer break when I had to leave and I miss it more than words can tell you. If given the chance right now I would start over at freshman year, and I wouldn’t change anything. I would genuinely retake chemistry just to fail so I could replace it with prehistoric life (yeah you can do that) if it meant I could have four more years.

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    You know how everyone says “you’ll be ready when it’s here”? Well, that was never me. I faked every minute of pretending to be sick of studying, I loved it. Even when hurricane after hurricane hit I never regretted my choice of coming to UNCW. Now that it’s over, and I’m at home taking classes online, I realize my time there was the ‘good old days’.

    If you’re a student at UNCW, take one bit of advice from me – DO EVERYTHING. Take too many core curriculum classes, change your major, add a minor, drop both and be undecided, take acting for non-majors with Mike (I promise it’s so worth it). If you’re a student at UNCW and you think your time isn’t going to go by too fast – you’re wrong. A cliche but true. UNCW is the place to make memories (some to remember and some you wish you could forget). This is the time and the place to do it all. Oh, and skip class at least once a year for the beach, you’re never going to regret that choice.

    So what has it been like going to UNCW from 2016-2020 and now dealing with the coronavirus? It’s beautiful chaos and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

     

    Zoe Coleman, UNCW COM Class of Spring 2020

    Born and raised in Durham, North Carolina. Zoe is a Senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington graduating with a B.A. in Communication Studies focused on Integrated Marketing Communication. She is a member of Kappa Delta Sorority Theta Xi chapter. After graduation, Zoe will pursue a career in sales with the company Red Ventures in Charlotte, North Carolina. When Zoe is not working in the classroom she enjoys reading the latest novels available and exploring Wilmington.

     

  • This Is Home

    This Is Home

    A transfer student and only at UNCW for 2 years, I decided to take advantage of my time here and be as involved as much as I could. I got plugged in with a campus ministry where I met some of my best friends, and eventually become a student leader. I had the opportunity to work with a team that brought the Monster Energy Music Festival to Wilmington three times. I also managed one of the largest social media accounts in Wilmington. I can definitely say I have made the most of my time here and don’t regret a second.

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    However, there have definitely been some stressful times for me at UNCW. Let’s start with how both fall semesters, in the 2 years I have been here, were put on pause for a period of time because of a hurricane. Or how about a global pandemic stealing my last 2 months of college and the cancelation of Graduation. If life at UNCW has taught me anything, it is to expect the unexpected and don’t let adversity stand in the way of your dreams. Just keep your head up and a smile on your face because tomorrow is going to be way better than today.

    I decided to stay in Wilmington over the summer to take classes and I think it was one of the best decisions I could have made. The summer classes were not easy and they were very time consuming but I got through them. I got a job working in Wrightsville Beach at the largest boat dealership in the world. I made new friends that were local to the area. But, most of all, I fell in love with Wilmington.

    To future UNCW students, I’d say to take any opportunity that presents itself. Your time here is short and believe it or not, it goes by very fast. So look for ways to make your time meaningful. Join a club, make new friends, skip class to go on day trips, go too cookout at 2am, hit up Islands after 5pm, serve your community. Just find something you love and stick with it!

                 You have the opportunity to make an impact at UNCW, take it!

                                                 Thrive! Don’t just survive.

     

    Jay Carr, UNCW COM Class of Spring 2020

  • An open letter to UNCW…

    An open letter to UNCW…

    I spent my whole life dreaming of going to NC State, I wanted to be a veterinarian. During my senior year of high school when it came time for decisions to go out, I got deferred from my dream school. At the moment I was extremely devastated, my plans were not going accordingly but at the same time, God had other plans for me. Shortly after receiving my deferred notification from NC State, I got my acceptance letter to UNCW and that’s where it all began.

    UNCW was my second choice but looking back on it, it’s been the best choice. My time here at UNCW has been nothing short of interesting, from hurricanes and worldwide pandemics to becoming an RA on campus. My freshman year I knew I was where I was supposed to be because of the friends I met and the experiences I had gained. Sophomore year felt the exact opposite, my friends made new friends and I thought I was going to change my career path and have to transfer schools, it was a mess. However, junior year I applied and was given the offer as a Resident Assistant on campus which changed my life. The people I met, the lessons I learned, the life experience I gained, and the responsibility I held is something I will never forget.

    I am a first generation student and the baby of the family, I had no clue what I was doing when I got to college. I just felt it was necessary to go with the motions and follow along with everyone else, but I began to discover that most people were like me – didn’t know what they wanted to do. My whole life I wanted to be a veterinarian, but as I went through my years of high school I realized how bad at science and math I was. So it was up to me to decide on what I wanted to do as a career, or so I thought. I thought I was alone. I started my journey in the Communication Studies department my freshman year with COM 101 – Public Speaking. The UNCW Communication Studies department has some of the most caring professors I have ever seen. I grew up in a small town and my high school teachers cared about our success, but college seemed so big to me that I thought we’d be treated like numbers. The COM professors have been nothing but awesome. They genuinely have cared about my success and have given me the tools necessary to do what I want to do. They have pushed me to be a better version of myself and to get out of my comfort zone. The advice they have given me and the questions they have helped me answer has been such a huge help for my personal and professional development.

    Now going back to the idea that my four years here at UNCW have been nothing short of interesting. I remember my freshman year when hurricane Matthew rolled through and classes were canceled for a day or two. Then my sophomore year there was a “snowstorm” that caused us to miss a week of classes. Junior year was hurricane Florence and man that was quite the adventure. This was my first year as an RA and we had to do a campus wide evacuation to get the students out as quickly and safely as possible to beat the storm. The uncertainty of not knowing what was happening to campus or when we’d be allowed to return had all of us going crazy. I had a fairly smooth transition when coming back to campus after Florence, it wasn’t hard for me to get back into the swing of things besides all of the maintenance that was going on around campus. The devastation that struck people who had countless hours of research in Dobo Hall, the residents who lived in the University Apartments, the homes in Wilmington that got destroyed, it was just heartbreaking to see. But the comradery of the people of Wilmington was so overwhelming, everyone banded together to recover. Then senior year rolled around and Hurricane Dorian struck meaning another mandatory evacuation. This time around the University was a bit more prepared about updates and the “next steps” of what to do. But then the unexpected… Covid19, a worldwide pandemic. This is something that no one could have predicted and that no one is even sure how to handle, yet here we are at our own homes finishing out our year online. All I’m going to say about that is that there’s a reason that I didn’t sign up for 4-5 college courses online.

    With Covid19, graduation has been postponed, classes are online, campus is closed, my hometown is in lockdown and I can’t  sneeze in public without getting a death stare. I have lost the opportunity to live out my last year of college, to get to the point we have worked so hard for the past three years. I won’t get my senior experiences. I had to leave my friends earlier than I had planned for. I was let go from my RA position because we were no longer needed. It’s just a whole lot of “new” in a very strange time.

    Despite these challenges though, I will always be proud to be a Seahawk. The pros outweigh the cons in every aspect of all four years during my time at UNCW. If I could talk to myself as a senior in high school, I would’ve said not to worry about NC State, not to have been so closed minded because it was about to be some of the best four years of your life. I will always bleed teal and always have my wings up.

    seahawk

    Casey Buchanan, UNCW COM Class of Spring 2020

  • 5 Things I Wish I’d Known As A UNCW Freshman

    5 Things I Wish I’d Known As A UNCW Freshman

    Be wise. Be brave. Be tricky. –Neil Gaiman

    When people told me how fast my four years in college would go, I didn’t not believe them–but I didn’t understand them, either.

    I was lucky. I visited UNCW in high school, toured campus, fell in love. Something in me knew, viscerally, that this place was home. That part was true. But I thought I knew who I was and who I wanted to be–and that part wasn’t true.

    The past four years have proven me wrong over and over. I know less about myself now, a month from graduation, than I did as an eighteen-year-old moving into Honors House. And that’s okay. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to have it all figured out by the age of twenty-two (or twenty-five… or thirty).

    I do know that UNCW is more than just my alma mater–it’s part of who I am. Here, I found friendships with roots running deep. I felt challenged, academically and emotionally. When I failed, people caught me and helped me get back up. When I soared, people celebrated with me. I have fallen in and out of love, had crises of faith and identity, given up on my dreams and begun to find new ones–all of it knowing that when I felt overwhelmed, I could take a deep breath, smell the flowers or look up at the clocktower, and feel that same almost-surreal sense of belonging I have always felt in this place.

    There are many, many things I wish I had known to come into this experience and growing in it. Here are a few of them.

    1. When you get ready to leave UNCW (or college in general), you will not wish you had more awards, joined more honor societies, planned more events, or taken on more projects. You will wish you had spent less time on meaningless resume-boosters and more time watching the sunrise with the people who mean the most to you, and more time doing things you love.
    2. “No” is not a dirty word, and people will not hate you for saying it. In fact, most folks will respect you more for saying “no” to a project, event, or club instead of agreeing to do it and doing it halfheartedly. It’s better to do fewer things well than many things mediocrely. And when you need to take time for yourself, always do it. Thinking that you’re a necessary part of an organization or project is usually just a function of your ego: the planet will keep spinning if you take a day off.
    3. You don’t have to be the person your past self wanted you to be. Dreams and ambitions change. Don’t cling to something that doesn’t fit you anymore just because it’s familiar. The dream job, the significant other, the hobby that doesn’t make you happy anymore, the toxic friendship… if it restricts you now instead of freeing you, it’s time to let it go.
    4. An experience that teaches you what you do not want is just as valuable as the one that teaches you what you do want.
    5. Cynicism is for the miserable. Love what (and who) you love unabashedly, including and especially yourself.

    The time we spend at college is formative and important–but it’s the beginning, not the end. This is what I’m beginning to realize as I’m planning my own exit into what we call “the real world.”

    –Nikki Kroushl

  • It’s All Coming to an End

    grad samI can honestly say it has felt like a lifetime since I first enrolled in college and began my studies. Having attended an early college program for high school, I took my first college course at 14. Intro to Computer Science was a breeze and I thought I had college all figured out. Little did I know the roller coaster I was embarking on.

    It took me a long time to decide what I wanted to do after high school and the fast track I put myself on had no time for reluctance. Sometime around the end of sophomore year it all clicked; communication was where my heart was. It’s kind of impressive how life has a way of putting everything into place. Once I got the idea of studying communication, I was coming across amazing teachers and people who encouraged me to pursue what I love. They all helped me map my journey to that goal. I was lucky to receive constant support while completing my high school diploma and associates degree and for that I’m forever grateful. I had an awesome foundation going into university.

    However, as most of us know at this point, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine. I had so many bumps in the road during my time at UNCW, I can barely believe it all happened. Through it all, I just have two pieces of advice for future graduates, advice I wish I could give my eighteen-year-old self.

    Show up, but remember to take time for yourself too. Show up to your classes, show up to a new club that seems interesting, show up to that event even if you’re feeling lazy! Showing up is the easiest thing you can do, though I know sometimes it doesn’t feel like it. That’s when it’s important to remember you’re allowed to take time for yourself. Going to college is overwhelming enough, but when you factor in working, extracurricular activities, and social obligations it can seem impossible. Taking some time for yourself is the only way to stay sane and it’s easy to forget how important that is when we have so much going.

    When I first got to UNCW, I avoided events and anything that wasn’t my classes for the first couple of months. I found it so difficult to get involved at a school with so many students after coming from a graduating class of fifty six. I found it even more difficult to make time for things that weren’t my studies or going back to my hometown. With a little push from my roommates and realizing that the answer to my problems weren’t at home, I started to integrate myself into the UNCW community. Since then, time has flown by and I cannot believe it’s all coming to an end.

    University changed me in ways I could never imagine, but I think I’m just a better version of who I came to school as. So, to all the Seahawks who still have a way to go, good luck and take care of yourselves! Time flies when you’re bleeding teal.

    Rachel (12 of 30)

    -Rachel Montesinos Jorro

  • The End of an Era

    Three different colleges, three different cities, three years of summer school and I finally made it! I will officially graduate in 18 days from The University of North Carolina Wilmington with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and a Minor in Anthropology.

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    These last four and a half years have not been easy but when I came to The University of North Carolina Wilmington two years ago I finally felt like I had found the perfect place for me. Being a transfer student far from home was not easy at first but soon, Wilmington became my home away from home. Here at UNCW I decided to change my major to Communication Studies and discovered my passion for IMC and digital marketing after taking IMC I with Dr. Persuit.

    During my time as an undergraduate student in the Communication Studies Department, I have had the chance to take courses with some incredible professors that taught me a variety of fundamental skills that will help me be more successful in the future. I was also able to complete three internships with two different agencies while at UNCW.

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    My first internship was with Cape Fear Community College in the Continuing Education Department. I was a marketing intern and I had the opportunity to design ads, flyers, brochures, and social media images for different continuing education classes. I also wrote and edited press releases and successfully marketed new classes to ensure sufficient student enrollment. I never imagined that I would get the opportunities that I did during my first internship.

    My second and third internships were with Remedy Digital Agency. During my time with Remedy Digital I had the opportunity to design and maintain clients’ social media pages, websites using WordPress, and email campaigns. I also learned how to effectively create Facebook ad campaigns for clients. While interning at Remedy Digital I fell in love with digital marketing and decided to pursue digital marketing as a career.

    Even though I am sad to be moving on from Wilmington, I will always cherish the time I spent as a student and I look forward to bringing what I have learned at UNCW with me into my future.

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    -Emma Adamcik

  • Taking the Leap Proved to be Worth It

    It’s safe to say that before I came to UNCW and became a communication studies major, I was living with my eyes closed. It’s hard to put into words just how thankful I am that I decided to attend UNCW, but I’ll give it my best shot.

    I will start with the university as a whole.

    Not only is it located in a beautiful place geographically, just look at the campus, but it is filled with people who are dedicated to getting the most out of every student. Transferring from a smaller school, I have to admit I was worried at first about becoming just another number lost in the crowd. I would soon realize that this was far from the case.

    UNCW proved to be the perfect place to learn and grow

    Not only did I feel right at home here, but my belief that the education I was going to receive would be superior, was confirmed.

    As a transfer student going from already being a COM major, to PCOM, and forced to take public speaking, I was not exactly thrilled about my decision to attend UNCW my first semester.

    Those initial feelings of doubt could not be farther from how I feel now.

    After getting through the gateway courses, I started to realize how much being a COM major at UNCW had to offer. Taking courses outside of my focus such as interracial communication and political communication, combined with courses such as IMC I and Advertising II, helped me gain a broader perspective of the world and a better understanding of how everything is connected.

    In addition to providing me with this broader and better understanding of the world, it also made me think more critically about it.

    Everything is not always as it appears and it is important to understand how to think for yourself. Every course I have taken here has addressed this mindset, and is something that UNCW and the COM department should take great pride in.

    Not every university prepares students equally

    As a-soon-to be graduate from UNCW, I am more prepared to start my career than I could have ever imagined. I will be forever grateful for this, but I am more grateful for how prepared I will be to better myself in all aspects of my life.

    My eyes are now open, and I will do my best to understand all I see.

    –Brian Clifford ’17