Meet the Summer 2015 Admissions Office Interns!

Ify
(oio4qc@virginia.edu)

My name is Obumneke Ifesinachi Obi (I go by my nickname "Ify") and I am currently a rising 4th year in the College of Arts and Sciences. I am on the pre-med track and double majoring in Psychology and Photography. I was born and raised in Washington, DC, but now I currently reside in Northern Virginia. Something most people don't know about me is that I went to boarding school in the capitol of Nigeria, Abuja, for 6 years (from 7th grade to 12th grade) before coming back to the US to attend UVa. I love to travel, cook and take pictures! I'm excited about interning at the Office of Admissions this summer and being a tour guide!

Catherine 
(ccp3qz@virginia.edu)

Hey everyone! My name is Catherine Pollack, and I am a rising second year from Winchester, VA. I plan on majoring in biomedical engineering and neuroscience, but I have many interests beyond the sciences! When I'm not in class, I'm involved in numerous organizations around Grounds, including Engineering Students Without Borders, Cavs in the Classroom (through Madison House), research at the Center for Applied Biomechanics, and the Cavalier Marching Band (fun fact: I play four different instruments--clarinet, piano, saxophone, and more recently, trombone)! I'm super excited to serve you as an Admissions intern and summer tour guide. Feel free to email me, as I would love to answer any questions you may have on academics, music, student life, or anything you could think of!

Tyler
(tjc4ky@virginia.edu)

My past is riddled with instability, poverty, and abuse. Because of my own resilience and the QuestBridge Scholarship, I have been able to transcend these challenges as a first generation-college student from a small beach town in North Carolina. I am double majoring in Medieval and Religious Studies and I am currently involved in the Christian and LBTQ communities at UVA. I believe that college is an incredibly important time for people and I am striving to use my education and experiences at UVA to support prospective students and to eventually become a professor. I am incredibly excited to get to know all of you and to work with the Department this summer! 

Casey
(cce9hk@virginia.edu)

I am a second year student from the Chicago suburbs studying both Government and Political Social Thought with the intention of focusing and eventually working on food policy. I'm fortunate to be a member of Alpha Phi Omega co-ed service fraternity, which affords me the opportunity to see and serve the Charlottesville community. I exercise when possible and will hopefully be training for my first marathon this summer! Additionally, I hope to spend the summer exploring Charlottesville, namely going on popular hikes, eating at popular restaurants, and all of the other Charlottesville gems that I can't seem to find time for during the school year.

Erik
(epm5fh@virginia.edu)

My name is Erik Morlock, I am a third-year Foreign Affairs and Global Security and Justice double major. I am originally from Stockholm, Sweden, though I grew up in Virginia Beach (Cox High School). I was a DOTL co-chair this year and will be the Virginia Ambassadors chair for next year. I am also President of Quidditch at the University of Virginia. I've grown to love working with prospective students through Virginia Ambassadors and I'm really excited to continue to do so this summer!

Colby

(ckd7rz@virginia.edu)

Hi! I'm Colby, I'm a second year majoring in Political Philosophy, Policy & Law and I hail from Alexandria, VA (yes, I am one of the thousands of NOVA kids).  I am really excited to work in the Admissions Office this summer!  As far as my interests--in my free time I love to bake, watch Friends and Gilmore Girls, exercise, craft, and hang out with friends at fun, new places in Charlottesville.  At UVa, I am involved with Honor, Days on the Lawn, Aletheia Christian Fellowship, and Cavs in the Classroom.  I can't wait to experience Cville in the summertime and check off things on my Charlottesville bucket list (oh yeah, I forgot to mention this, but I am a HUGE fan of lists)!

Elaina

(emh2hb@virginia.edu)

My name is Elaina Hill and I'm from Farmville, Virginia (home to Longwood University). I'm a rising second year here at UVA and an interdisciplinary computer science major in the College. I am a member of Madison House on grounds and mentor every week at Computers4Kids in downtown Charlottesville. When I'm lucky enough to find free time, I love to paint, crochet, and head outdoors for long walks when the weather is nice.

Connor

(cba3dq@virginia.edu)

My name is Connor Andrews and I am a rising Fourth Year in the College of Arts and Sciences from Charlottesville, VA. I am majoring in History as an undergraduate, but will be beginning to work on my Masters in Public Policy and Leadership through the Batten School’s Accelerated MPP program this fall semester. My involvements around Grounds include Madison House, One in Four, and my fraternity, and I am currently working on a research project about University history and which is working to digitalize University documents from the nineteenth century. I am also an avid Boston Red Sox and Patriots fan.

Julia 

(jes6av@virginia.edu) 

Hi everyone! I am an incoming third-year from Lynchburg, Virginia and I am majoring in English and French. My interests range from writing to running to watching Netflix to cooking, but in terms of activities on Grounds, my main involvements lie in the Cavalier Daily (UVa's student newspaper) and a Madison House program called "Cavs in the Classroom". I'll be studying abroad in Lyon, France next semester so I'm excited to spend the next couple of months at home at UVA enjoying my favorite things about Charlottesville: great hiking, great food, and better people. 

Majors, Classes, Confusion

Picking a major, picking classes and deciding what academic path you want to pursue can be a daunting task. Especially for first year students at UVA. I remember when I first came I had no idea what I wanted to major in and had no idea how to navigate SIS and register for classes. I was simply overwhelmed by the multitude of what is offered here.

Since then I have tested the waters of most subject areas and now have a much better idea of what interests me (thank goodness). Although it takes time to figure out what you want to pursue, I promise that as long as you explore everything with an open mind you will find something that interests you.

When incoming first years ask me what kinds of classes I would recommend taking I tell them two things. First of all, if you are in the College of Arts and Sciences, try to get a couple of area requirements out of the way early. There’s no reason to put them off. It will make your workload easier third and fourth year. Secondly, take some classes that you might put you outside of your comfort zone or are in a department you know nothing about. There is no better place than UVA to gauge your interest in history, mathematics, chemistry, statistics, you name it, it’s offered.

In my time here so far I have tried to follow my own advice. As a result I have come across areas I found very quickly that I did not want to pursue, and some that I did. Here are my top three specific class recommendations:

1.       Shakespeare I and II: This class is really quite unique. I had taken plenty of English classes before, but never one in such a concentrated area. The fall semester version covers histories and comedies and the spring semester covers the tragedies. There’s no need to take them in a particular order. Professor Maus brings an excellent amount of enthusiasm and passion for the subject that really makes her class enjoyable.

2.       Commercial Law I: This is one that you probably won’t be able to take until your second year. I believe everyone, regardless of major, should consider taking this class. It is not just about the legal process but also about information anyone should know, especially if they are ever in a sticky situation.  Again, the professor makes this class a really great pick. Professor Moore is a really awesome person and engaging lecturer. I’m already looking forward to taking COMM Law II.

3.       Intro to Statistical Analysis: This is kind of an unorthodox recommendation. When I tell people that I am a stat major they usually wrinkle their face in some expression of agony. And I get it, math isn’t for everyone. I never used to think it was for me. But then I took STAT 2120 and realized that I actually really liked the subject. It is applicable to many different types of research and career paths. I think my experience is a testament to the fact that you should really be open-minded in whatever classes you end up taking. Even if they’re seemingly banal requirements for a major or area requirements that you are trying to get out of the way, you can’t knock it till you’ve tried it.

Obviously UVA has many, many more interesting classes to offer in addition to what I have listed above. You should look into everything you can. I would recommend checking out Lou’s List (just google Lou’s List UVA), which is a user friendly version of SIS (the site used for course registration). It will give you a feel for the type of classes that UVA offers across all departments. Lastly I would recommend sitting in on a class during Days on the Lawn. You can really get a taste for a particular department by doing so. Best of luck!