Home Away from Home

Transcript

It’s now time to go to one of URI’s 26 student residence halls and meet Sonika. Sonika is a student from Dubai, United Arab Emirates who chose to leave her home country and study pharmacy at URI. Sonika, along with other international students from 76 different nations have made URI their home. Let’s hear from Sonika about her journey at URI.

– Hi, everyone. I decided to fly almost 7,000 miles to pursue the six-year doctorate of pharmacy program at the University of Rhode Island. I was born and raised in Dubai, UAE. And as much as I love my city, it had started to become my comfort zone. So I knew I was ready for the next step. While it did take time to settle in, the URI community offered nothing but kindness, acceptance, and support. When I think of home, I think of a safe space where I feel supported and have people to go to in times of need. And URI is exactly that. While it’s not required to live on campus, I would highly recommend that you do. I made some of my best friends in my major through the Pharmacy Living and Learning Community or LLCs. Everyone in my classes lived in my residence hall. Each morning, we would wait for each other in the lobby. Then get a delicious breakfast at the dining hall. Walk to all our classes. Grab lunch together. My personal favorite is the sushi. And then we would study in the lounges until dinner where we’d enjoy the amazing stir fry station or different options at the deli. So essentially, living on campus is just a massive sleep over with all your best friends. As I was adjusting to URI, I started to become more involved. I joined two on-campus jobs, which means it was only a convenient walk away from work. And I also joined clubs and organizations, including Lambda Kappa Sigma, the professional pharmaceutical sorority that helped me meet my best friends and form a family. On the weekends, we would meet up and attend group fitness classes like yoga or Zumba. As I received a lot of support that helped ease my transition, I thought it only right to repay the generosity in the form of mentorship. I’m the Resident Academic Mentor or RAM for the College of Pharmacy’s Living and Learning Community. So I actually live in the same residence hall as our first year students. I support their transition to college life by sending them helpful newsletters and holding programs like resume workshops, ice cream socials, study abroad info sessions, and more, giving them a chance to get to know each other and also feel more comfortable at URI. I absolutely love being a RAM and getting to know my students every year. Watching them become more involved and take up leadership positions is such a rewarding, full circle moment for me. I feel more confident in the way I carry myself, my ability to manage time, be productive, lead a crowd, and facilitate discussions with my students, and also find a balance between work, academics, social life and me time. I feel like I’ve come a long way and I have URI to thank for my growth. So thank you for letting me share my story with you. What’s next, Alex?

– Thanks, Sonika. Living on campus really seems to have had a positive impact on your time at URI. These Living and Learning Communities brings students together and help them make Kingston their home. The support services and the people students meet, give them a way to make URI their true home away from home. Good luck in your fifth year of pharmacy school. Take care, Sonika.