HOMETOWN: Cincinnati, Ohio
MAJORS: Health Communication & History
MINOR: Human Services & Addictions
YEAR IN COLLEGE: Junior

Tell me about life pre-NKU. Where did you grow up?
I’ve grown up in Cincinnati my entire life. I graduated high school in 2016 and went to a small nursing school for about a year.

Tell me about your transfer experience. Why did you choose NKU? What kept you here?
Transferring was so seamless. I started out at a school that only offered nursing degrees, and when I realized nursing is not what I wanted to do, I started looking into transferring. My dad actually mentioned NKU to me when I told him I wanted to transfer, because of cost and just the fact that while NKU could allow me to explore tons of different academic options but I would still be able to stay in relatively small classes. I think I’ve stayed here because I finally feel like I’m in an environment where I can succeed and improve. Honestly, I was not the best student when I transferred but being here at NKU has changed my entire attitude about school.

Can you tell me a little about what you're studying?
I’m studying Health Communication and History. I chose Health Communication because after my experience in nursing I just knew that I was probably better suited for a different aspect of health care besides patient care. It allows me to combine things like marketing, health care and communications and do all sorts of awesome things. I added on the history degree because history has always been a favorite subject, but also it has allowed me to learn and improve skills like researching and looking for sources that have become invaluable to me.

Describe NKU in one word.
Friendly.

What’s your favorite class?
I took a history class called Death and Dying in the Ancient World; it was really interesting.

Where is your favorite spot on campus? What makes that spot so special?
The Student Union. My friends and I always get lunch from the Travel Wagon and hang out, so it’s always a time I can look forward too.

Where’s the best place to study on campus?
Griffin Hall is my favorite place to study. It’s really easy to find a table that’s tucked away and get things done.

What is your greatest passion?
Getting to help people and just getting to know that I made a positive impact on someone’s life.

What’s a favorite NKU memory you’ll never forget?
I did not attend FreshFusion, so my friend and I “snuck in” last summer, and it was a blast.

What is your favorite way to spend your free time?
Hanging out with my friends and going out for food.

Who’s your favorite professor (or staff member)? Why?
Professor Quinn in the history department. I actually spoke to her before adding on history as another major. All of her classes are super interesting, and she just cares so much that her students enjoy the subject and do well.

How do you stay focused?
Just by sitting somewhere by myself and putting my headphones in.

What advice would you give to a first-year student?
If you don’t know what you want to do, take classes so you can explore more. You don’t need to have everything figured out on day one.

What are you most looking forward to after graduation?
Going on to graduate school!

What kind of job would you like to have after you graduate?
Ideally, I would like to work for a public health department doing outreach and education.

What does getting your degree mean to you?
I think that it will sort of cement in that I really did belong in college. I was a horrible student at my old school, and by getting my degree from NKU I can really prove to myself that all my hard work really was worth it.

What are a few things every NKU student should do here before he or she graduates?
Go to a basketball game, get food from the Travel Wagon and study abroad.

Did you study abroad during your time here? If so, tell me about your experience.
Not yet, but I’m planning on going to Greece this winter with KIIS!

Tell me anything else about yourself and/or NKU that you want folks to know.
NKU is honestly totally different than I could ever imagine. I thought I would have a hard time fitting in because I’m a transfer student but we have such a huge population of non-traditional students and just the fact that everyone is so friendly made it super easy to fit in right away.