Today marks the final day of classes for the Spring Semester and along with it, the final day of classes for our scholarship recipients' first year at the University of Florida.  Many alumni remember their first year at UF with fondness but also recall the many challenges of navigating a new environment with new people and new responsibilities. We wanted to check in with some of our scholars and see how they felt their first year went and what advice, if any, they had for the UF Class of 2030 that will be starting their first year in a few months.

 

Shalalai Elswick

​Manatee High School

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MCGC: What has been your favorite class you've taken this year?

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Elswick: My favorite class this year was Engineering Design and Society where I got to learn about coding and circuits. We got to create a mini compost bin centered around a specific group’s needs. I think it challenged our team to be creative and built on our problem-solving skills. 

MCGC: What's your major and has that changed in your first year?

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Elswick: My major is now Agricultural/Biological Engineering. It’s honestly a major that not enough people know about. When I first came to UF, I thought I wanted to be a Civil Engineer, but after joining a civil [engineering] club and taking an Introduction to Engineering class, I discovered that Biological Engineering solves more of the problems I want to solve.

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MCGC: How have you connected with the UF community? Have you joined any on-campus clubs or groups (e.g. Greek, student groups, sport clubs, etc.)?  Attended sporting events? Community service? Anything else.

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Elswick: I believe I have done a good job connecting with the UF community. I think there’s so many good clubs and people that will support you no matter who you are. This year, I volunteered at the "Field and Fork Farm" - literally so much fun and you get to learn about food insecurity and how to use over 4 different kinds of hoes. I also joined the Steel Bridge team. These people are so cool and so knowledgeable. I joined the Biological Engineering Club in Spring and did some volunteering with them and just earned an officer position for next year. I went to a few games too.

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MCGC: What's been the most surprising (in a good way) thing about UF/Gainesville?

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Elswick: The most surprising thing for me is how I ended up feeling about living here. I thought I would miss home too much and that everything would just keep being unfamiliar, but you keep walking around campus and meeting new people and you end up calling it home. I remember the first time I referred to my dorm as "home". It was such a weird and beautiful moment. 

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MCGC: What advice would you offer a graduating senior who will attend UF this Summer/Fall?

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Elswick: I would say that you need to put yourself out there and take that bet on yourself if there’s something you want to accomplish. There are so many opportunities here and you just have to make an effort to take them.

Also you should go to the gym. It's one of the best things you can do for your body and brain. Even if you have no idea what you are doing, there are resources here and people who can teach you. There are so many free things here that you should take advantage of - the gym is FREE if you are enrolled in classes.

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Karis Price

​Palmetto High School

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MCGC: What has been your favorite class you've taken this year?

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Price: So far, my favorite class has been EMS1055. I am pre-Health and want to go into Emergency Medicine.  This class allows me to get my CPR and EMR certification while learning some of the processes that go on in this area of medicine. It’s also a really interesting class if you are interested in emergency medicine or interested in medicine in general. 

MCGC: What's your major and has that changed in your first year?

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Price: When I came to UF, my major was Health Sciences. I changed it to be a Microbiology major because it aligned more with my interests and my background.

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MCGC: How have you connected with the UF community? Have you joined any on-campus clubs or groups (e.g. Greek, student groups, sport clubs, etc.)?  Attended sporting events? Community service? Anything else.

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Price: To get into the UF community, I have done a couple things: I'm currently in a mentorship club for K-12 students, where I go to the school for an hour a day and help the students. I have especially gotten involved in going to sporting events. The football games are insane, but being in the O Dome for basketball games is my favorite. I think looking back, I created a lot of memories just waiting in line all day for the basketball game, which I consider one of the ‘rites of passage’ as a UF student. Even though I didn’t get to experience a national championship, it was still amazing being there to support my school.

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MCGC: What's been the most surprising (in a good way) thing about UF/Gainesville?

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Price: I think for me, the most surprising thing would be the level of school spirit. Being able to see the large Alumni Associations, whether it be tailgating at a football game or just people walking around campus, has shown me how impactful being a Gator really is. I think when I committed to UF, I really wasn’t expecting such a positive school spirit because I hadn’t grown up as a Gator. 

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MCGC: What advice would you offer a graduating senior who will attend UF this Summer/Fall?

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Price: A piece of advice I would give to incoming freshmen is to work hard, but also enjoy what UF has to offer. Whether it be sporting events, live music events or finding a club you really enjoy, you should really take the time to decompress from all the academic work. 

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Learn more about  Manatee County Gator Club Scholarships