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Why USF...
How I ended up at the University of South Florida is a pretty
interesting story. When I first began researching colleges, USF did not
even cross my mind. However, I was a state finalist for the Wendy’s High
School Heisman my senior year in high school and was invited to the
Florida banquet at Busch Gardens. At the time, I was being recruited
heavily from the University of North Carolina and the University of
Florida. I figured since I was already going to Tampa, I would go ahead
and see what USF was all about and began speaking with the faculty and
staff at the university. What ultimately made my decision was that USF
offered me a chance to enter the
7 Year Medical Program. However, every
time I now eat a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger, I give Wendy’s the credit for
bringing me here to Tampa.
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First day ...
I remember thinking on my first day of class, “Please don’t be like high school.”
When I first entered high school, I was very excited until my lung decided to be funny and collapse spontaneously.
It ended up with a two week stay in the hospital for surgeries and earned me metal staples to hold my right lung together.
Luckily, nothing disastrous happened until my first chemistry exam. However, that is another story for some other time.
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Living the campus life...
I spent my first year living in Cypress A and recommend all first year students live on campus.
It is the best way to meet students and make friends fast. Living on campus is also very convenient.
The best days were when you could just roll out of bed and walk to class still half asleep.
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Student Activities...
I have participated in many activities here but my two biggest
commitments have been the
Honors College Student
Council and the club
lacrosse team.
I have been very active with the Honors Council since my first semester
at the University of South Florida and am currently serving my second
term as president. I find pride in the Honors Council and have been
lucky to see the results of my hard work. I have met amazing people
through organizing social, cultural, and volunteer events and am lucky
to have such an amazing team work by my side. I am happy to think that I
have made an impact on the Honors community and hope that the council
will continue to grow.
In addition to the council, I played lacrosse for the club team at USF.
Before I came to USF, I had never even seen lacrosse. Therefore, this
club has been an interesting challenge. However, I have enjoyed
participating in this program because it has been a lot of fun and I
have met many great people. It is a developing program that I expect to
grow quickly in the near future.
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Activities ...
My interests are very diverse. I love to play a variety of sports and
going out to restaurants, especially ones that I have never been to
before. I also love to spend time cooking at my apartment and can make
some amazing cheesecake if I do say so myself.
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Professors...
Each of my professors stand out in my mind for different reasons. In
particular, I would like to mention Mr. Mohammad Kasti, whom I spent two
semesters with studying leadership principles. With his help, I was able
to develop my leadership skills which I know will help me in the future.
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Transition ...
The University of South Florida has a great faculty, especially within
the Honors College, who are there to welcome students with open arms. I
also like how the university puts on a variety of events before classes
even begin so that new students can meet a lot of different people.
Moving out and going to college can be scary and it is important for
students to know that they are not alone. USF helps students make
friends fast.
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Research ...
I was lucky to be admitted into the
Summer Program for the
Advancement of Research Knowledge (SPARK) program at
H. Lee Moffitt
Cancer & Research Institute. It was a great experience and I learned a
lot about what it takes to be a researcher. The best thing I learned was
that research is not for me. However, I recommend all students to try
their hands at research. They may discover that they love it. If not, at
least they will know from a firsthand experience.
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Multiculturalism ...
I have to say that the student body here at USF is one of the most diverse populations I have ever seen.
It is great to hear about everyone’s experiences and backgrounds. Diversity is a definite advantage when
I am working with the
Honors College Student
Council because there is always a wealth of new ideas on how to
organize new events and improve the Honors Council in general. We do many different things and it helps when
students come with different perspectives so that we can find the best way to handle our businesses.
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Metropolitan ...
Before I came here, I had no idea where I would like to live after I
earned my professional degree. However, now that I have lived in Tampa,
I can see myself living in the nearby area. I love the weather and the
variety of things you can do in the surrounding area.
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Global ...
I was lucky to attend Rutherford High School in Panama City which
initiated my global perspective with its International Baccalaureate (IB)
program. The University of South Florida has helped encourage me to
expand my views even further with its diverse population full students
from various backgrounds and upbringings. Here, each student brings a
unique perspective on all subjects which allows me to learn something
new almost everyday.
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