Meeting Big Thinkers

Transcript

All right, everyone. Let’s go meet Joel over at Hillside Hall. Joel is a junior who’s a Rhode Island native and is studying mechanical engineering. Joel is gonna talk to us about his experiences meeting all kinds of people while at URI and how participating in clubs sports led him to some unexpected places. With more than 30 multicultural clubs on campus, Joel and other students are able to interact with so many different people. Let’s hear from Joel now.

– Thanks, Alex. I’m excited to share with you all my URI experience and how the people I’ve met along the way have been some of the best parts of my college career. Being born in Jamaica and becoming a Rhode Island resident at age four, attending my state’s flagship institution was an easy choice. I want to meet all different types of people with various backgrounds and experiences. And by making URI my home, I’ve definitely been able to do that. When I first started at URI, I was placed in a Living and Learning Community or an LLC. These are communities of students who live together and share the same academic interests. And in my case, I was placed with other engineering students. While it was beneficial for me to connect with others in my classes, I found myself hanging out more with pharmacy majors right here. I wasn’t expecting to become close with students outside my program, but it was my first lesson in realizing that URI was gonna provide me with exactly what I wanted, the opportunity to connect with others who are different from me. Getting involved in club sports was another way I was able to connect with people who had different experiences from me. I was a member of the 2019 club volleyball team that won the national championships in Denver, Colorado. Being able to travel with my team, compete for a national championship, and do it all in my first year was incredible. I’ve always had a competitive streak and club sports gave me an outlet for that even with a rigorous curriculum like mechanical engineering. Through my time on the team, I’ve been able to build friendships that have been strong ever since. The students I’ve met aren’t the only people who have had a significant impact on my time at URI. I’ve also been able to benefit from incredible mentorship through my involvement with the National Society of Black Engineers or NSBE. In this organization, I met two mentors who helped me as I navigated the URI engineering curriculum. I first met Tailynn after she presented at a NSBE event at URI. She gave me the opportunity to travel to the national convention in my first year because she saw my potential. I’ve really been able to find myself at URI. I realized that my interests can extend beyond my major. And by living on campus and getting involved in every opportunity I can, I’ve been able to help others along the way. That’s a little bit about me. Now back to you, Alex.

– Thanks, Joel. Sounds like URI is a community of students and alumni who all wanna challenge themselves and get out of their comfort zone. You’ve had some amazing URI experiences and we cannot wait to see more of what you are gonna do next. Take care.