Fulbright College Students Celebrate Commencement Milestone
This has been an unusual academic year to say the least, with all the challenges the pandemic brought.
But despite many obstacles, our Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences students have adapted and overcome so much to make it to the milestone that is the University of Arkansas’ Spring 2021 Commencement.
In-person spring commencement ceremonies will take place May 6-8 and adhere to the schedule and safety protocols detailed on the Registrar website.
Additionally, all ceremonies will also be streamed live on the U of A’s YouTube channel.
“On behalf of our entire U of A community, we offer you a big congratulations, Class of 2021 – you did it!” said Todd Shields, dean of Fulbright College. “We are so proud of and excited for these students, who have shown incredible resiliency during this strange and unprecedented pandemic time.”
Shields added that for our graduates, “so many good things lie ahead, and earning your degree was an important step to help you accomplish the next goals that you now set your mind to.”
“I also want to recognize the amazing family members and friends who’ve supported, cheered on and been right there with our students as they worked toward this moment,” Shields said. “And of course, I want to thank the phenomenal faculty members who taught our students all they could in the hopes that they would reach this moment as prepared as possible.”
Shields said he hopes the members of the Class of 2021 also “know how inspiring each and every one of you are! I wish you the very best for your futures – and can’t wait to see what you accomplish next.”
As our college gears up to celebrate Spring 2021 Commencement, we asked some of our graduating seniors to share their thoughts and experiences on the past year, the pandemic, becoming graduates, and what’s next on the horizon for them.
Here’s what they had to say:
Question:
What has this pandemic year been like for you leading up to Commencement?
Answer:
The pandemic year was full of opportunities to grow as a person or anything you wanted to be
Answer:
In short, this pandemic year has been a rollercoaster. I’ve experienced love and loss. I’ve felt frustration, isolation, and self-doubt. However, I’ve also found a new friend in my puppy, Chloe.
Answer:
Both mentally and physically this year has been taxing on myself and almost everyone I know. It has been especially hard to retain this feeling of graduation with the loss of interactions during senior year.
Answer:
I would honestly say I have been more ambitious than I have ever been during this pandemic year. During this past year, I was very lucky to have two internships that solidified my post-graduation plans. These internships have allowed me to find my passion and just exactly what I would like to do as a career. As for school, I am very thankful I was in 12 hours last semester and this semester. Thankfully, I did not have much to do school-wise, so I could fully enjoy my last year at the University of Arkansas and in Fayetteville!
Answer:
Naturally, there was increased stress across many aspects: socially, academically, politically, and culturally. Given the pandemic, all I could do this past year was spread positive (and educated) information, vote, and focus on my schooling (including graduate school applications), all while trying to maintain relationships from afar! I feel a pent–up excitement as we approach Commencement across our graduating class though, and I truly hope this past year has changed us for the better and we can move forward with important life lessons.
Answer:
The pandemic year has allowed me to shift, flex, and challenge myself in new ways. I became a virtual student, a remote employee, and an at-home teacher to my daughter, all in a matter of days. At first, everything was chaotic. I live with my family, so we all had to learn how to work around each other’s meeting schedules. But as time went on, we fell into a cadence. We started to have fresh-made meals together. We had time to learn more about each other and how we each work and operate outside of the house. We became aware of the others’ responsibilities and obligations and flexed in and out of household duties to work as a tribe rather than just individuals sharing a communal space in the evening. We each started to see the stress each of us was under and how to manage that stress. 2020 was challenging but I saw my whole family pivot. The pandemic is something that we will always share as we were all there for each other. We went through that together. We are fortunate we had each other.
Question:
What is something that brought you joy during this unusual time?
Answer:
I found joy in reacquainting with Yu–Gi–Oh!
Answer:
One thing that has brought me joy this year is my partner. He truly is my best friend.
Answer:
I have always been someone who has needed time to recoup after going out or spending time with others; however, this past year has made me realize just how important my friendships and relationships with others are toward my mental health. Whether it be through cooking dinner together, going to talk during a walk, or just watching a movie,the thing that really brought me the most joy during this period was seeing my friends and family.
Answer:
COVID brought to the forefront major societal problems embedded in our country; while an extremely tense time, I found it incredible that minority and suppressed groups expressed their voices in such a powerful manner. Additionally, technology and science progressed extremely rapidly in the past year to accommodate the pandemic, and I think we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude for those that worked in creating online platforms and the scientists that put aside egos and collaborated across the world to develop vaccines in record–breaking time. The science featured in the past year brought me huge excitement and joy.
Answer:
My parents have made this past year and my transition into my senior year so seamless. They were so understanding when I had to move home abruptly last March and gave me space to attend my classes and chapter meetings virtually. My parents were the only two people I saw during the first quarantine and in that time,I have learned more about myself and them than I have in my whole life. They helped me find internships and helped me with every part of my law school applications. I would not be here without myparents. They have brought me the most joy through this pandemic and I am so thankful to have them (and of course, I am super thankful for our dog, Ollie).
Answer:
Something that has brought me joy during this unusual time is spending more time with my daughter and being outside. Before the pandemic, transit time took up two to three hours of my day. Or time was spent waiting at various locations for my daughter’s activities. I was able to turn this transformed transit time into an outdoor run or more time to bike ride with my daughter. I could eat my lunch while in Zoommeetings and take the regularly scheduled hour to play with my daughter outside. We were able to work on our bodies and focus on the meals we were eating; these things were put on a back burner in our everyday hustle and bustle before the pandemic. While our lives are slowly getting back to normal, we are now meal prepping and making sure we are getting outside to get some sun and exercise. We feel better and we enjoy spending the time together.
Question:
What are your post–graduation plans?How did the pandemic affect or change them?
Answer:
I will be participating in the CLS virtual institute hosted in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and pursuing opportunities in public service, as well as furthering my education through graduate studies.
Answer:
Originally, I was planning on just jumping into the Public Relations field. But, during this pandemic, I have had a lot of time to think, make pro/con lists and really visualize my future. I have decided to pursue law school and I am so excited to see what the future has in store for me!!
Answer:
Initially, I wanted to enroll in the online Master of Arts in Teaching program at Southern Arkansas University. However, now I am considering taking a gap year to rest in the countryside. The pandemic made me realize that rest is necessary to be healthy. I haven’t solidified a plan yet, so time will tell.
Answer:
Right now, I’m planning to take a TEFL certification course that SILK International offers to go abroad and teach English for a year or two. One thing the pandemic really made me realize was the importance of being flexible with your plans. With internships, graduate programs, and other opportunities being more competitive and some not even occurring this year, I had to remind myself that just because something may not happen now doesn’t mean it can’t happen in the future.
Answer:
I will be attending Duke University to obtain my Ph.D.in Psychology/Neuroscience! That being said, the application and interview process was one of the most arduous times of my life not only stress–wise, but also with the difficulty in making a decision during the pandemic. I was extremely grateful to be able to visit two of my dream campuses, Duke being one of them, but I recognize I was given a unique opportunity to fly out during a pandemic that possibly would’ve altered my graduate school choice had I not gone!
Answer:
Before the pandemic, I had an internship that was to turn into full–time employment after graduation.However, due to COVID, this changed, and the company I was working for terminated the internship program. I found myself seeking employment during Christmas and New Years’, one of the most challenging job hunt times, but I didn’t become discouraged. I pulled from my network and hit the ground running after finals to find a job. I have shifted into the non–profit space and am working in an internship with the Bentonville Chamber of Commerce. I cannot forecast the future, but I can say I am so thankful for all the internships and companies I have worked with over the past four years. The opportunities, practical work experience, and network I have built are invaluable.
Question:
What advice do you have for new or current students to help them succeed when faced with challenges like the pandemic?
Answer:
I traveled more frequently and widely during 2020 than ever in my life, so there really is no limitation to how grand your goals may be; there is always a way to make things happen, especially when confronting adversity.
Answer:
The hardest part of the pandemic for me was losing my motivation to do pretty much anything, especially going to online classes. The biggest piece of advice I would give is to make sure you stay on top of things. Fill out a planner and make you sure you don’t fall behind in classes.
Answer:
My biggest piece of advice is to have a strong social support system. Being isolated can take a toll on both your mental and physical health. Oh, and you absolutely must get some blue light glasses! They reduce eye strain from staring at screens for classes, meetings, and homework.
Answer:
We treaded in uncharted waters the past year, and so many of us did not know what the ‘right’ thing to do was. It was a major trial-and-error experience, but I believe that, should we face challenges like this pandemic again, the ability to prioritize your health (physically and mentally), to establish concrete schedules, to have sympathy for others, and to be easy on yourself are keys to success not just individually but within a community, too.
Answer:
Look every single challenge in the eye and make it work for you. If this means sitting on the couch to benefit your mental health, do it. If this means calling and emailing people and ask for a Zoom meeting to talk about your future, do it. Whatever this means to you, do it. I have found that finding a balance between work/school and relaxing is so important. Make it work for you. If it doesn’t work one way, find another way to do it. During this pandemic, I stopped making excuses for myself and stopped making excuses for not finishing my work. I got things done and it worked for me.
Answer:
Breathe, change your mindset, and adapt. I do not mind change, but it takes me a while to get into a groove. Allow yourself time to adjust. Take extra moments of self-care to reduce your stress and please communicate with professors or others around you if you need any help. I contracted COVID in Oct. 2020 while working part-time and going to school full-time, including working on my thesis. I communicated with my professors and everyone was fantastic. I was allowed the time to recover and had the time I needed to make sure I did not fall behind on work. The hardest part was being away from my daughter for two weeks. Additionally, small things I worked into my schedule were walks, hot baths, or a nap. These moments allowed me to press pause on the stress, even if for only 30 minutes.
Question:
What are your hopes for the future?
Answer:
I hope technology integration becomes synergistic with healthy human habits.
Answer:
I hope everyone gets vaccinated!! I want to sit in a music venue again and listen to my favorite artists with 100 other people! I hope things start going back to normal. Even though this pandemic stopped things for a while, I hope that everyone continues to do their part (by wearing a mask and getting vaccinated) so we can all start living life to the fullest again
Answer:
My hope for the future is that the pandemic will close the digital divide between citizens who have high-speed internet and those who do not. Hopefully, with so many things transferring to virtual spaces, private and public industries will make access to high-speed internet a priority. I also hope to create a happy and fulfilling life for myself both professionally and personally.
Answer:
For myself, I plan to obtain my doctorate and pursue either academia or some cool industry jobs in neuroscience with legitimate societal applications. As a country (and world), I sincerely hope we can learn to respect one another more, squash misinformation, and value science to the degree we should be.
Answer:
As an anthropology major, I love experiencing multiple different cultures and events, and learning new things about people and the world every day, so staying isolated has been stifling. In the future I hope to travel and experience the world as much as I can. Hopefully, with the implementation of the vaccine and health guidelines international travel will be an option within the next year or so.
Answer:
My hopes for the future are to secure a job that I love and grow my career. I love my degree field and look forward to launching my career. I look forward to taking the skills I have learned from my internships and freelance work and putting the ultimate test while expanding my capabilities. My dream would work with the Walmart Media Team and, as I grow older, eventually migrate to Florida to work with NBCUniversal. A long-term goal is to teach others to fly during my retirement. I love flying and want to build on this skill set. I will be attending Elite Aircraft Services private pilot training program at Drake Field. It will be fantastic to see the U of A from the air. Always keep your eyes on your dreams and DO IT! It’s never too late!
Story contributors include
Lucas Bellaiche
graduating senior who majored in Mathematical Sciences, Music and Psychological Science
Heather Hodge
graduating senior who majored in Journalism
Hannah Kouchehbagh
graduating senior who majored in Anthropology
Lucas Ros
graduating senior who majored in International and Global Studies and Spanish
April Vincent
graduating senior who majored in Communications and French
Mica-Ela Vitug
graduating senior who majored in Journalism and Political Science