Admissions Office
Why did you choose Union?
Coming from a small, Catholic high school, most students were inclined to attend the same small, Catholic colleges that their parents and peers attended. And so was I. At all of my college tours I knew at least one other student, or the tour guide nodded and grinned with recognition when I mentioned where I went to high school. This familiarity brought me great comfort, but something still didn't feel right for me. I wanted to be challenged instead of comfortable. I wanted something new, and I wanted something different. Before I knew it, I was making the 3-hour long car ride with my dad to a place called Union College. I remember walking around campus with a small group of strangers, staring up at the Nott Memorial, and knowing that this is the place I needed to be. I applied Early Decision and was over the moon when I found out I was accepted.
How do you describe Union to your friends and family?
As cheesy as it sounds, Union really is my home away from home. But it wasn’t always like that. During my first year, I sometimes struggled with finding my own group of friends and felt like sometimes I didn’t belong. I had to keep reminding myself that this is what I wanted: to see strangers’ faces on campus, and to start over in a place where I could grow into the person I was meant to be. Slowly, the strangers’ faces became familiar ones, and the familiar ones became ones that I now consider family. They inspire me every day to be the best version of myself and push me to challenge myself in so many different ways. I tell my family now that I have found support all across campus: from the friends that I met during my first days here at pre-orientation, my sorority sisters, my fellow orientation advisors, other e-board members of WRUC, my coworkers at the bookstore, and people within my own major. I am never afraid to ask for help or assistance because of the close connections I have made, and I constantly find myself helping out others in the community as well. I can tell I am becoming the person that I am meant to be, all because of the Union community. Everyone I have met here shares one thing in common: a strong sense of pride for Union. Within the Union community each and every person strives to make Union the best place it can be.
What has been your favorite class assignment at Union?
My favorite class assignment at Union was during my “Students Call for Social Change” class, where each student was able to write a story about a social issue they are passionate about and publish that story in a book produced by the class. Publishing the book was definitely a lot of hard work, but I am so proud of the work I put in and the story I shared about my passion for mental health awareness.
What is your favorite place off-campus in Schenectady?
My favorite place off campus is Jay Street, specifically during the Schenectady Greenmarket, a farmer’s market on Sundays. I love to walk around with my friends and buy flowers, apple cider donuts, fresh fruit and vegetables for the week, and get coffee brunch from Ambition.
