Meet the Interns: Will

Howdy perspective students, parents, alumni, or any other eyes that are for some reason taking interest in this. My name is Will and I am a rising 3rd year student from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I just want to take some time to tell you guys a little bit about my life at UVA and the things I love doing here.

My favorite thing to do on a sunny day is to spend all day on the lawn with my friends. We play frisbee, corn hole, spikeball and watch dogs. There's something about sitting on a picnic blanket, or my inflatable orange couch in the most historic and beautiful space at UVA that never fails to makes me happy.

One of my other favorite UVA traditions is painting Beta Bridge. Students paint both sides of this bridge with messages of upcoming events, in honor of students' or organization' achievements, or even just to be funny. This traditions spans back to the 1960s and although they strip it every couple of years, you can still see the hundreds upon hundreds of layers of paint and history peeling in some places.

Just outside of UVA's grounds is the Corner, a long strip of shops and restaurants that form the hub of student life. All of these establishments are almost exclusively trafficked and staffed by students. One of my current jobs is serving food at Boylan Heights burger bar. It's been a great way to make money and also a chance to meet local celebs.

The city of Charlottesville also offers plenty of fun itself. My favorite view is from Carter's mountain orchard where you can pick apples in the fall and watch the sun set over the city at a concert series in the summer. The best part is that it's only a 20-minute drive from UVA.

The heart of Charlottesville is the downtown mall which is a long walking mall with the city's best restaurants, shops, and concert venues. Whether it be going to concerts, eating dinner in outdoor patios, or studying in the Tea Bazaar, I find myself here a couple times a month. It is also the site of Charlottesville Pride each September. All of the local businesses on the mall go all out for this event to show their support of the LGBTQ+ community.

The final thing that I'll share about my love for UVA is the family that I've found here, specifically in the University Guide Service. Although I spent a semester of Thursday nights attending three-hour classes and public speaking prep to learn about all 200 years of university history and how to tell it, I got to do it with the most amazing group of 29 people I've ever met.

Wow, if you've made it all the way here, thanks for reading or at least just scrolling through my pictures. I hope you've gotten a better sense of why I find UVA to be my home. Even if you don't find that here with me in Charlottesville, I just hope that you can find it wherever you decide to go.