First, I would like to welcome you to Elon by congratulating you all. Being accepted into a world-renowned university like Elon is no small feat. Whether you are here as a stepping stone to a dream job or to learn more and further your education, Elon will help you achieve whatever you set your mind to. From the day you step foot on campus, you will explore the diverse range of offerings Elon has.
Many people will offer their advice on how to involve yourself throughout your Elon experience. Some will say pick no more than one or two things. Others will say experience as much as you can and involve yourself in different things on campus.
There are benefits to both ways of thinking, depending on how you see it. For me, I chose the latter. I sought to involve myself in as many things as I could handle in order to truly utilize what Elon could offer.
As an avid basketball player in high school, I joined club basketball, which allowed me to still competitively play the sport I love.
While my father was in a fraternity during his time in Elon, I did not plan to take a similar path as I was exposed to negative stereotypes. I met one of my best friends through club basketball who showed me the good things fraternities can offer.
Two years later, I am the President of Sigma Phi Epsilon here at Elon.
Organizations at Elon have given me the opportunity to travel from coast to coast, allowing me to learn with Elon students in other environments. I am also a University Innovation Fellow, a group founded at Stanford University that trains students to be resources on campus for other students who wish to start their own ventures. This opportunity has taken me to Silicon Valley, where I learned about entrepreneurship and innovation at Stanford, Google and Microsoft.
Everyone finds their organizations, and it may not happen for several semesters. Make sure to do your research, whether online, through the org fair or through your friends and classmates. There are hundreds of organizations, and most certainly there is something for everyone.
Another piece of advice and perhaps the most important one: strive to cultivate meaningful relationships with faculty and staff. It has helped me grow as a global citizen, land jobs and influence my passion. I likely would not have chosen to pursue entrepreneurship as one of my majors had it not been for my advisor and mentor, Sean McMahon. The same goes for my other advisor and mentor, Raj Gupta, who convinced me that finance and entrepreneurship coupled together makes a great combo.
These mentors have helped set me on a path to achieve great things at Elon and beyond. I encourage you to find the same type of people and foster a productive relationship with them.
Last, I hope you take advantage of Elon’s top-rated study abroad program. The best time of my life was spending my fall semester of my junior year in London with some of my closest friends. The food, the people, the places and the experiences will aid your growth in becoming a global citizen.
As with many of my experiences at Elon, I never expected to have spent a semester in another country, yet it was an extraordinary experience that I cannot speak enough about. In fact, I am returning for a Winter Term trip to Cambodia, Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore with Professor Gupta this coming January.
During your time at Elon, make sure to leave no stone unturned. Explore the vast and various opportunities that exist, and you will certainly find companions in whatever you do. Whether in one organization or three, from business to science, at Elon or abroad, Elon will help shape you into a better person as you will also make Elon a better place.