Meet the Interns: Alex

Hi, everyone! My name is Alex, and I am a rising fourth year from Charlotte, North Carolina. I am double majoring in Global Development Studies and Women Gender and Sexuality. It’s definitely a mouthful to say, but both are interdisciplinary majors in the College of Arts and Sciences. These are a few of the things I’ve done at UVA, and some of my favorite memories!

Many UVA students will study abroad at some point during their time here, whether for an entire semester or year, in the summer, or one of the many other options that are available to students. I studied at the London School of Economics the summer after my first year and took a course called “international Human Rights: Theory, Law, and Practice.” During that time, I mostly stayed in and around London and really got to know the city well.

This is Covent Garden Market in London, and I spent a lot of time in the SoHo and Covent Garden Neighborhoods.

The summer after my second year, I studied Spanish in Valencia, Spain, through UVA’s oldest and one of its most popular study abroad programs. I lived with a host family and had the opportunity to practice Spanish in almost all of my interactions. After Valencia, I stayed in Europe and traveled to many different cities on an independent study project.

Catamaran ride off the coast of Valencia.

The view from the Prague Castle in Prague.

During the school year, I love to give historical tours of Grounds through the University Guide Service. One of the coolest parts about UVA is how incredibly historically significant the space is, from the architecture, to its ties to Jefferson, to its more modern history. Many students and their families will also take tours of Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home in the mountains around Charlottesville. I toured Monticello when I visited UVA as a senior in high school and again with fellow members of the University Guide Service.

I have always been a huge music person, and my dad has been dragging me to concerts since before I was old enough to walk. Charlotesville is a great place to see concerts, with lots of fun venues ranging from small general admission theaters on the downtown mall to John Paul Jones Arena. I have also traveled to Richmond and DC to see some of my favorite artists.

At the end of my second year, I spent a weekend in DC to see Lorde with one of my best friends, Jake.

The South side of Monticello with friends from the University Guide Service.

Snow days are always so much fun and turn Grounds into a beautiful wonderland. If it’s snowing, there is a tradition where, at midnight, hundreds of students will come to the Lawn for a giant snowball fight. If classes are cancelled, students will generally spend all day out in the snow hanging out with their friends. We got lucky and had a couple of snow days this year!

We got a huge snowfall during fall finals this year, which made studying slightly more enjoyable, but made it all the more tempting to spend time outside.

And of course, I could not write a post about some of my favorite parts of UVA without mentioning men’s basketball. There was nothing more devastating than watching 1-seed UVA’s historic loss to 16-seed UMBC in the first round of the NCAA tournament last year in my home city of Charlotte. But then, there was nothing better than watching the Hoos, only one year later, through a series of nail-biting finishes, go on to win its first ever National Championship against Texas Tech. I watched the game on the Lawn with a big group of friends who had set up a large projection screen. We watched history being made in the shadow of one of Virginia’s most historic places.

Many students stormed the Corner after the game to celebrate the win. This is my friend, Thomas, above all of the crowds.