To the students who didn't dream of going to UConn:
Hello, yes, I know you're there. I'm just like you. I didn't ever imagine myself being a Husky. In fact, I didn't even know UConn existed until my senior year when I was in a desperate search for one last school to apply to. Even then, I did not think UConn was the one. I know that so many others like me either didn't know anything about UConn until high school, knew everything about it and swore they'd never end up here with the rest of their high school classmates, or didn't get into their dream school and were faced with a tough choice.
Here's the thing: UConn is all about pride. UConn shares the stories of the lifelong fans, the babies wearing Husky gear who grew up to attend school here, and the families who have generation upon generation of UConn graduates, and we-- the students who are discovering this place as we go-- are left behind in the dust. Sometimes it's easy to feel left out, like we aren't as much a part of UConn as the rest of the students here. The most important thing to remember, which I have to remind myself of constantly, is that even though UConn was not my dream school, it is the best place for me to be right now and I have the power to make my time here as amazing or as awful as I want it to be.
College is all about making the best of your experiences, whether that means learning from mistakes, finding new interests, or simply discovering your identity. We are fortunate that UConn provides a platform for all of these things to happen. It is easier for some than for others, but the second most important piece of advice I have for you is that you will get out of your UConn experience exactly what you put into it. Being here is about creating your own reality and seeking out the nearly endless opportunities that this top-ranked public university has to offer. If you feel like something is missing that's causing you to not reach your potential or get the full college experience, it's not because UConn doesn't have it, it's because you haven't sought it out yet. Just because UConn isn't where we dreamt of going doesn't mean that our experience here can't become everything we imagined of college growing up.
I am proud to bleed blue. It took some time to take my hesitation about coming here, and my concern about whether I had made the right choice, and turn it into the realization that this school will allow me to be as successful as I want to be so long as I work hard and take advantage of the opportunities that come my way. I know that so many of you who are just like me have done the same. And for those who are still feeling those doubts, be patient and be persistent. Opportunities are waiting around every corner, sometimes you just have to chase them for a little bit before you're finally able to snatch them up. Even though I just bought my first UConn sweatshirt this past fall, I know that I will be boasting my Husky gear for the rest of my life, and that is what it's all about.
