IMC Hawks Blog

Tag: 2013

  • Confessions of a UNCW Undergrad

    Though Graduation draws near, my Seahawk spirit will never die. My four years at UNCW has taught me well more than just academics. When I moved in to Galloway in August of 2009 as a young, naïve, eager boy, I had no idea the experience I was about to begin. Even though home is a mere 20 minutes away for me, my move to Wilmington was my fresh start. I decided I no longer wanted to care about what others thought of me and wanted to finally express myself instead of keeping it all bottled inside. My first step was something that I always wanted to do – I tried out for the UNCW Cheerleading squad. It was one of the best decisions I ever made and truly enhanced my college experience. I learned new skills and made great friends along the way. These are experiences I will never have the chance to relive again, so I cherish them very much. The rest of my freshman year was a fast, fun blur. I engaged in lots of campus activities such as Alpha Phi’s “King of Hearts”, and also “Mr. Galloway”. I made countless friends and learned a few life lessons as well.

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    After goofing around like a social butterfly for my first two years, it was time to decide a major. Initially, I wanted to major in Education (though I never declared). However, after taking a few Education classes my freshman year, I decided it wasn’t for me. That left me in a pickle. It is easy to decide what you don’t want to major in, but extremely difficult to decide what you do want to major in. After chatting with a few friends, I was talked into taking COM 105. “It’s an interesting class and if you don’t like it then don’t major in it.” I figured I had nothing to lose. After learning more about the discipline, it caught my attention. I became intrigued in what Dr. Weber was teaching. In addition, I liked the fact that it is a very flexible major. By the end of the semester, I decided that this was the major for me. That was another one of the best decisions I’ve made.

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    Though I met struggles along the way, my desire to succeed kept me going; however, I never would have have made it through without my friends, cheerleading, and the wonderful COM faculty. It still feels surreal that I’m graduating. I feel like I haven’t changed that much, but when I think of that boy that moved into Galloway, I realize I have. Leaving this school is definitely bittersweet. As I said earlier, I cherish my memories here. I couldn’t have asked for a better all around college experience. That being said, I realize that I’m ready to enter the work field and start the next phase of my life. And as I prepare to say goodbye to UNCW, I know I’ll always retain my Seahawk pride.

    -Jay Reilly

  • Reflections on Graduation

    When I first started my journey at UNCW, like many other freshmen I was disoriented, puzzled about my future and overwhelmed with what college had to offer.

    I have lived in Italy for 16 years and living with two cultures has always been part of my life. The quest I went on when I decided to move to the United States for college and apply to UNCW was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made in my life. I took more than one risk but I can honestly say that in the end I don’t have any regrets. If risks aren’t taken in life, then it’s truly not worth living. Overall the decision I had to make was not an easy, nor a quick one, but either way I knew that it would be a life changing one. For me, “personal success” is more than just maturing academically, and UNCW has allowed me to achieve this and beyond. I am proud of my dual citizenship and all the pros and cons that have come with it. My experiences and background have helped enhance my experience at UNCW, and it was well worth the journey.

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    I believe that my education is the first and most important building step towards achieving my life goals, and UNCW has allowed me to do just that. Classes like Capstone and many other I have taken in the Communication Studies Department have not only prepared me for the future but, most importantly, they have excited me about my future. As someone who has lived in the United States for less than five years, I can honestly say it is not only relieving, but also rewarding to know that I am one of the youngest graduates in my class and that I have successfully achieved the same level of academic recognition that people who have lived their whole lives here have.

    Throughout the years my family has allowed me to further shape myself into the person that I am now. My parents were in fact the ones that let me take on the most important experience that I’ve had so far in my life. I don’t see graduating from college as the successful termination of a chapter of my life, but rather the beginning of a new chapter in which I prove to my parents that all their support and everything they have done for me has allow me to successfully accomplish my dreams.

    The pressures to start my career and succeed in life are two things that have been more and more often on my mind, I’m sure like many others of my fellow college graduates as well. I could not go to the point of saying that UNCW guaranteed me success in my future career, but I can truthfully say that it has given me the confidence and preparation I need to leave the UNCW “nest” and enter the real world; and this is more than I could have ever asked for. Ultimately, part of the post-grad adventure is really trying to figure out who you are and what you value. As I said earlier, for me, graduating from college is the final move (or leap) into adulthood.

    It is now 13 days until the day of my graduation and as I am writing this final blog post, looking back on where I was four years ago and where I’ve came from, I can honestly say that I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

    – Sasha De Vecchi