By Sebastian Grignano
To think that my four years as an undergraduate student here at Western New England University are coming to an end is something that came upon me very fast, and it’s honestly a hard pill to swallow. I remember how I felt like it was yesterday when it was time for me to move into my room in Franklin Hall accompanied by my parents and sister, who were all very emotional to have me out of the house and on my own.
I was nervous for what was ahead of me but also extremely excited to take care of myself and meet new people. I knew that I was going to be able to make friends quickly because I would be playing for the baseball team, but I did find my group rather fast within the dorms, and we enjoyed our time as young kids just trying to figure things out. From trying to do well in college level courses that I was not used to or frankly prepared well enough for, to attempting to get into parties as a little freshman that not a lot of people knew yet, it was a time of transitioning to a new environment.
This transition was not easy at first, but I got the hang of it and settled into the college life pretty nicely. My freshman year the baseball team that I am a part of won the conference, which is something that I will never forget and will always cherish. The teammates I have now and in the past that have been a part of this University are friends that I will have forever, and I am very grateful for the experiences that have come from being an athlete on the baseball team.
The courses I have taken here have prepared me for the real world just as much as making relationships with professors and other students have. I have taken countless business courses with a plentiful amount of professors who care about you as a person and not only as a student; that, in my eyes, is half the battle of being successful at the undergraduate education level. I also have had the best academic advisor at this University, and her name is Professor Knott.
She has made my life that much easier with helping me schedule classes, teaching me in the classroom and ensuring that I have the correct classes to graduate on time. My time at this University has been very enjoyable, through COVID-19 and all. I am very pleased with my own progress and the University as a whole that has shaped me into the man I am today.
A few words of advice that I would give to students coming in to the University is to cherish all moments and attend events with friends; it’s okay to feel uncomfortable at certain times because that is how you grow and learn how to overcome adversity.
