All right, everyone. Now, we’re heading over to Panther Plaza. A really cool spot here on campus, to meet Tij Vishwakarma. Tij received his undergraduate here in aerospace engineering, and has started his master’s degree in ocean engineering. Tij is gonna speak about the warm, and welcoming culture and community he found here at Florida Tech. Tij has some great stories about how this school has positively affected his life. Tij, you are on, take it away.
Thank you, Alex, for that amazing introduction. You know, students from all over the world, come to Florida Tech. If you ask me, there’s something very special about this place. The very first time I came on campus, was also my very first time in the United States. My parents were nervous. I was nervous too, but you know what? The moment we met the welcoming community of Florida Tech, every worry disappeared.
In the first week itself, I met students from across the globe. Each person I met was friendly, and had a positive attitude. I never expected to meet my friends like Tom, Jess, and Daniel. Tom, is a guy from Scarborough, Maine, who I met during an orientation icebreaker. It just so happened that he loved table tennis as much as I did. And so naturally we bonded. First, we became friends, then we became roommates, and now, we’re like brothers.
Now, let me tell you about Jess. I met her in the Evans Library while I was studying for my Physics 2 exam. I shared my stories about India, and she told me about her life in Greenville, South Carolina. We realized that even though we were worlds apart, we had so much in common. I could not let this opportunity go. So, I asked her out. Now, she’s my long-term girlfriend, and also my closest friend.
In the summer of 2016, in a breather between classes, I sat down next to a guy named Daniel. I asked him where he was from, and he said, Gambia, West Africa. We talked for hours. He told me about African traditions, and I realized how similar they were to the Indian traditions. We shared our love and interest for technology, and now we’re best friends. When we all first met, the only thing we had in common, was Florida Tech. Now, we are all like family.
As an international student, I feel like Florida Tech does everything it can to make me feel like home, from Panther Dining Hall’s International Dinner Series, to the university’s annual International Festival, during which the students, and community organizations come together to celebrate the sights, tastes, and sounds of various world cultures. But what I think really brings me, and people like Jess, Tom, and Daniel together, is the unique community that Florida Tech fosters. Florida Tech is an amazing place to live and learn, and I would not trade my experience for anything else. Back to you, Alex.
Tij, Great job. Thank you for opening up, and getting personal about the culture and community here at Florida Tech. That was special. Cheers, Tij.
Okay, so now we’re heading to Florida Tech’s beautiful Botanical Garden. A tropical oasis tucked away in this peaceful corner of campus. And we’re going to meet Emily Warner. She’s a senior here at Florida Tech, majoring in psychology, with a concentration in animal behavior. Emily is going to talk to us about student-faculty mentorship at Florida Tech. Wait until you hear what Emily is doing here at the school, it’s awesome. Emily, please take it away.
Thanks, Alex. Hello everybody. I chose to come to Florida Tech for the small classroom sizes, and the tight knit community. I didn’t want to be seen as just a number. At Florida Tech, my class size is average from about 25 to 30 people. This means that by the end of my semester, I’ve gotten to know my professors really well.
The substantial relationship I built here in my time at Florida Tech, is with Dr. Darby Proctor. She is my research mentor, has been my professor for several classes, she even became my employer this past August when she created a federal work study position for me within her lab. Being a part of this lab, has opened up a world of opportunities for me. Because of her, I’ve had the chance to be involved in the introduction of a rescued spider monkey to our troop at Brevard Zoo.
This has been an incredible research opportunity, and has fostered a love for non-human primates that I didn’t previously know that I had. She’s not only a great mentor in an academic sense, but also a personal sense. She even sends me information about job openings that she thinks that I would be a good fit for. I know my relationship with Dr. Proctor is not unique among Florida Tech students. My closest friends all have similar relationship with mentors in the fields of aerospace engineering, astrobiology, forensic psychology, marine biology, and more.
These experiences have been critical in helping Florida Tech students receive scholarships, internships, and even jobs once they have graduated. So if you’re looking for a tight-knit community, with a plethora of undergraduate research opportunities, then Florida Tech is the school for you. Back to you, Alex.
Emily, it’s absolutely profound what you’re doing here at Florida tech. Next time you get to work with a baby spider monkey, can you please call me so I can join? Unbelievable. Thanks again for sharing. That’s awesome, Emily.
Next, we’re heading to the Orlando Melbourne International Airport, home to FIT Aviation. Florida Tech’s very own flight training facility. Just a short drive from campus, this is where students like Greg Dunn, a junior majoring in aeronautical science with flight, become pilots. Greg is going to talk to us about flying planes here at Florida Tech. Greg, you’re on, take it away.
Hey guys, one thing that sets Florida Tech apart from other colleges, is that we have our own flight school. Florida Tech is home to one of the most respected collegiate aviation programs in the country. As long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be a pilot. And as you can probably hear, I do have a Jamaican accent. Which means me leaving my small island, and finding that one college that would have made my dreams a reality. That was Florida Tech.
Here we are, at Emil Buehler Center For Aviation Training & Research, which is located about 10 minutes away from the Florida Tech campus, at Orlando Melbourne International Airport. This facility is home to FIT Aviation, also known as Florida Tech’s flight land. As a flight student, my day starts off with me waking up approximately an hour and a half before my flight, and heading to the flight land. I then get checked in at this bird, and my instructor is usually coming out to get the lesson started. This is usually around 5:30 in the morning. So my takeoffs are two hours of course, into the sunrise. This is a breathtaking scene.
Florida Tech has their students to dive head first into their majors. This was extremely important to me, as one of my biggest fears was having to wait over a year to fly. This was not the case at Florida Tech. Soon after arriving on campus, I remember getting a text message from my instructor saying, I had my first fight in the preceding days. Being able to fly so quickly, made me know that Florida Tech had my best interest at heart.
Learning to fly here in Melbourne, Florida is amazing. Not only do we get to take advantage of over 300 days of pristine weather, but we do get one of the best approaches in the world. We fly over the land, fly over sea, we even fly over campus. We have a variety of top of the line, single and multi-engine Piper training aircraft, and an award-winning maintenance department known for excellence in safety and service.
Another thing that I really appreciate, is that Florida Tech are not only here for the students, but they’re here for the community. The team here at FIT Aviation has done everything from flying hurricane relief supplies to The Bahamas, to helping our locals who transport our endangered animal from Texas to here. Florida Tech students are part of something bigger than themselves. In my experience, Florida Tech’s flight land is a tight-knit community of really caring aviators, who want to see the community grow. I urge anyone who has the slightest dreams of becoming a pilot, to take a look at Florida Tech’s program. I can promise you, you won’t regret it. That’s it for me, back to you, Alex.
Greg, I love how you have always wanted to fly planes, and are now making that dream a reality right here at Florida Tech. That was fun, great job. Cheers, Greg.
Okay, first, we’re gonna meet up with Iyahna Calton. She’s a junior originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is majoring in psychology with a double minor in criminology and pre-law, very, very impressive. And she’s gonna share with us what campus life is all about here at Fort Lewis. Take it away, Iyahna.
So, when it comes to campus life at the Fort, there are a number of ways to get involved. Let’s be honest, that’s a big part of the college experience, the community. And that’s exactly why our campus is buzzing with events and activities for the students.
Usually when something big is taking place on campus, it’s best to be in what I call the Wholly Triad. The Wholly Triad consists of the clock tower, the library and the student union and are commonly places where students can find, A, an ideal study spot, B, a tabling event of some sort, or C, a place to hang out and meet someone new. Over time at Fort Lewis, these places became legendary to me, wholly in a sense, serving as a space to meet some of the most wonderful people in my life today. And these views are just a few of the beautiful places available to students on campus, functionally serving as a hotspot for new hangs or the place for the perfect picture.
Personally speaking, my experience at the Fort has been full of perfect and not so perfect moments. If you ask me, understanding life as a young adult can be all too challenging, which is why choosing the right college can quite literally mean everything. Fort Lewis meant, for me, choosing an unknown path, a new path when it came to forging diversity, equity and inclusion. Fast forward three years and self-work, growth and actualization to have taken place right here on this very campus. And thanks to campus life, I’m grateful for the opportunities presented to me.
I was able to genuinely cultivate a network that of which I am so very proud of. My role as a part of student government has allowed me to represent the student body in ways I never knew possible. My greatest role as Black Student Union President has presented me with a platform to speak on issues around colonization, oppression, addressing discussion and dialogue unknown to the narrative. By now, I’m sure that this is where I’m meant to live and the truth I am meant to be a part of.
If you ask me what makes this place so unique is people like you, with a story to tell and a top tier liberal arts education awaiting. I hope I didn’t tell you all our secrets. And if anything that I said stuck with you for whatever reason, well, I hope to see you soon. I’m off to one of the beautiful views I was talking about earlier. See you around. Back to you, Alex.
Iyahna, that was so special. Thank you for speaking from the heart. That was really cool. This campus is incredible and I’ve been loving the vibe ever since I got here. Great job, thank you for that. Take care, Iyahna.
Next up is Amelia who is balancing her classes in international relations with her philanthropy. With the help of StartUp FIU and Panther alumni, she is working on an app that will centralize donations. Can’t wait to hear more, Amelia take it away.
Hi everyone, my name is Amelia Raudales and I’m a senior here at Florida International University. I’m currently majoring in international relations and pursuing three certificate programs, one in public policy, one in human rights and political transitions, and the last in law ethics and society. And the reason why I chose this university and this educational path is because of its commitment to challenge me to think critically about issues around the world, while also preparing me for a future in public policy. I was born and raised in Miami and over the last three years I have had the opportunity to be involved in five different fellowships, as well as run three different organizations. I was president of our student ambassador program, FIU student philanthropic council tasked with raising funds for our student emergency fund. I also had the opportunity to be the honors college senator for our student government association, captain of our leadership club lead the team, as well as director of our social justice club, the Panther Community Action Board. Now over the past year, I’ve also had the amazing opportunity to work with three FIU alumni in order to create an app that will centralize in kind donation giving. Working with the Center for Leadership and Service, the global learning office, as well StartUp FIU has been instrumental to my success as a student entrepreneur and helping me develop this idea as well as getting the seed funding. Now StartUp FIU is a university wide initiative to foster entrepreneurship as well as innovation. FIU has even been ranked a top 50 US utility patent producer around the world. As an Ashoka Changemaker Campus, a title that has only been given to 42 colleges and universities around the world, this has opened so many doors for me as a student entrepreneur. I was able to compete in placing the Fowler Global Social Innovation challenge pitch competition become a millennium Fowler alumni as well as a Clinton Global University Initiative fellow. On top of this, our college of business even offer its own entrepreneurship certifications for students ready to take their startup ventures to the next level. As Miami’s only public research university, this has afforded me and my peers countless opportunities to conduct research. Now the FIU Honors College has a class called diplomacy lab in which we’re able to conduct research on issues identified by state department officials under guidance of FIU faculty who have years of experience when it comes to diplomacy, as well as the international relations. Now this past year, I was able to conduct research on human trafficking and smuggling laws for the International Bureau of Narcotics and Law Enforcement. Because of this research I will now able to conduct research on different topics and brief my updates to US Southern Command, USAID as well as MITRE. All these opportunities have afforded me the chance to now be a congressional intern, as well as an intern for the Smithsonian. Thank you so much for listening to my story. What’s next Alex?
That’s a lot of hustling Amelia, as a businessman I recognize that entrepreneurial spirit, you’ve really optimized all the opportunities FIU provides from working with StartUp FIU, to bring your idea to market, to developing pivotal skills for the 21st century diplomat. Congratulations on the congressional and Smithsonian internships, we’ll see you soon.
Now let’s head over to the academic health complex and meet Brittany, who is a second year graduate student in the masters of social work program. She graduated with a double bachelor’s in psychology and interdisciplinary studies from FIU in 2020. She’s gonna share how field work is helping her prepare for the complex role of a clinician, take it away Brittany.
-Thanks Alex, as an aspiring clinician, it was important for me to find a university with an accredited master’s of social work program with a clinical focus. I was also interested in working across disciplines with students and faculty in the health sciences, as well as the opportunity to do field work. Stumble College checked all of these boxes by offering programs in the fields of public health, social work, and dietetics and nutrition, including dual degree programs and an academy for international disaster preparedness, Stumble College had exactly what I was looking for and more. Something that I noticed right away is the amount of support the staff provide. They brought me some exclusive opportunities which allowed me to expand my network and build my resume. I was able to get a fellowship with the national council for mental wellbeing as well as attend NatCon 2021 the world’s largest convention on mental health and substance use. These opportunities were only available at nine other universities nationwide and less than a hundred students were selected to participate. The fellowship I took part in was focused on the opioid epidemic and allowed me to collaborate with other social work students and professionals from around the country. By far my favorite part of the program is the field experience I acquire as part of the curriculum. The field office works with local businesses and organizations to place students in a practicum placement which meets their individual interests. Because of my fellowship, I was placed in a substance use and behavioral health treatment facility. I had the opportunity to work with people on an outpatient basis doing both individual and group therapy. While all the classes are informative, nothing compares to hands-on experience for learning. A graduate of FIU Stumble College can go on to work in a variety of fields. A social worker can work in hospitals, private practice for government or state agencies and even in policy work. A social work degree is very versatile and allows you to work in both micro and macro practice. The possibilities really are endless and I could not recommend the school enough. That’s all from me, back to you Alex.
Brittany great job, it’s heartening to hear about the great field work opportunities available to you and your fellow Panthers before you start your careers. It sounds like you are prepared to take on whatever comes your way, thanks again.
Okay everyone, now let’s head on back to Biscayne Bay campus and meet Tanith. She is a bit of a social media star, sharing on TikTok what life as a hospitality student is like. She’s had some unique experiences volunteering at the star studded South Beach Wine and Food Festival, and taking a class with the king of hospitality himself, David Grutman. You are on.
First of all, thank you Alex for your introduction. Hi everyone, welcome to the chaplain school of hospitality and tourism management on our beautiful Biscayne Bay campus. I’m a graduate student in the hospitality management program. I was raised in Berlin, Germany and moved to the US a few months back. Back home in Germany, I got my bachelor’s degree in international tourism and event management. I was born into a hotel family, so I always knew I wanted to work in the hospitality industry. I came to FIU because it is one of the best schools for hospitality in the US and I always loved South Florida. One of the coolest things I’ve participated in at FIU is the David Grutman experience class. Grutman is one of the leading hospitality entrepreneurs in Miami owning several hotels, restaurants, and clubs. Last year, he joined the chaplain school as our real life experience professor. In our class he had celebrities like David Beckham and Pharrell Williams, who gave us a peek behind the scenes of their own hospitality stories. It’s not just the classes that are different here at the chaplain school. Every year the school and more than 1,200 students help run the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, one of the biggest and most prestigious wine and food festivals in the world. It gives us students a unique chance to gain real life experience, working for this mega festival. To date the festival has raised more than $31.8 million for our chaplain school. This year, I work at the registration counter for three days. It was a great adventure and a huge chance to be part of such a mega scale event. Did I mention FIU also offers an online master’s degree in mega event planning and execution? The Miami boat show Olympic games are Bazell, Coachella. The sheer scale of these mega events can create engineering and logistical nightmares. FIU was one of the few places in the world that train students to make these events go off without a hitch. Thank you for letting me share my story with you. What comes back next is Alex.
What an interesting industry with so many logistics to plan and execute, without even graduating you and your fellow Panthers are already helping Miami maintain this place as the top of the tourism and entertainment industry. Thank you Tanith for sharing your experience with all of us, take care of.
Now let’s meet Khaleel who is at the FIU stadium. Khaleel graduated from FIU with a bachelor’s in recreation and sports management, and is now working on his law degree to become an in-house counsel for a sports team. He’s had great training as a Panther. FIU is a division one school with 17 teams in conference USA. In addition to an on-campus stadium, the Panthers play at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center on the main campus, and train in one of the premier aquatic facilities within the State of Florida and the east coast of the United States at Biscayne Bay campus. The swimming and diving team there is the real deal, seven time conference USA champs. Khaleel take it away.
Thank you, Alex. I’m currently going into my second year here at FIU college of law. Both of my parents were born in Jamaica and came over here to make a better life for me. As the international university, FIU is holding people from all over the world. Growing up, I loved to play baseball and basketball, and that ultimately led me to choose recreation and sports management as my undergraduate major. As a division one university, FIU has many opportunities both on and off campus. In Miami, we have the Heat, the Dolphins, the Marlins, the Florida Panthers, and Inter Miami. You can literally wrap up classes at five and then head downtown to a heat game shortly after. As a Panther, you can either be a student athlete or a spectator, with multiple club and intermural sports, such as basketball, flag football, soccer, and rugby. There was no better feeling than ending my day with an intermural game in our recreational center. Both friends and even family would come out. And as honestly one of the things I’ll miss the most about my undergraduate experience, whether you wanna catch a basketball game, or you wanna watch FIU beat the U again, FIU will provide. In addition to sports, I was a part of the Dean Student Advisory Council, where we made recommendations to the dean, on how to make FIU an even better university. This experience really showed me that FIU really cares about what the students think. I chose recreation and sports management as my major, cause I wanna be in-house counsel for professional sports organization. It’s funny because the way I came about this was through my Title Nine major required class. Not only did I get an internship with the Orange Bowl because of the connections I made, but I also learned about the FIU law, pre law path program, after showing interest in law school and sport and entertainment law. I wanna take my love of sports and incorporate that with my love of the law. This free program ultimately gave me a glimpse of what to expect in law school and that it was the right decision for me. I’m currently the vice president of sport and entertainment of the Sport Entertainment Fashion Art Law Society here at FIU. We just held our first ever national sports symposium with speakers from all across the country. We covered topics such as name image and likeness and the future of sports betting here in Florida. I look forward to my upcoming years here at FIU, and I know the experience gain will definitely pay off. Well Alex I spoken enough, so it’s back to you and paws up.
Paws up Khaleel, it’s great to see how focused you are on your goals. There’s no stopping you it’s true Panthers are really bringing it on the field and in the classroom cheers.
Next we’ll Valeria. She’s a senior marketing and international business major and the first person in her family to go to college. As a national leader in student achievement, FAU is home to award winning programs that ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed. She’s waiting at the Student Support Services Building to share her story. Valeria, you are up.
– Thanks, Alex. Hi, everyone. When I was looking at colleges, I made it my goal to find a school that supports and equips first generation students like me with the proper resources to succeed. I discovered FAU, where student retention and graduation rates aren’t impacted by things like income, first generation status, or race. Once I started at FAU, the Office of First Generation Student Success immediately connected me with a mentoring program that helped me navigate college life with someone who’s been in my shoes. They helped me get a job on campus, directed me to the career center for internship opportunities, and referred me to Owl Central to find different organizations that would allow me to grow within my field. South Florida is an economic center for the state and offers opportunities for jobs with major companies, so you don’t have to wait until summer break to get an internship. The career center taught me the importance of growing your personal brand and making yourself marketable to different companies. I was able to get an internship my freshman year with a digital marketing agency and was promoted to digital media coordinator within six months. This experience led to my current role of working in digital marketing for a software development company, all while attending FAU. The support I’ve received as a first generation student has inspired me to help other students and I became the president of First and Proud, FAU’s first gen student organization. I also served as the director for professional development for American Marketing Association, and the VP of professional activities for Delta Sigma Pi. Through these roles, I’ve been able to help students reach their full potential with the help of professional development and the right FAU resources. I am first and proud. That’s my story, now back to you, Alex.
– Wow, Valeria! I’m so impressed by the success you’ve already had in your career and your dedication to helping other first generation students thrive. It’s fitting that a school founded on the principle that higher education should be available to everyone specializes in lifting up traditionally underserved students. What a special place, thank you so much for that.
Next we’ll hear about FAU’s award winning undergraduate research program from Wayne. He’s a junior studying neuroscience and behavior and he’s doing some incredible work. We’ll meet him at FAU’s newest hub of research and inquiry, the Sandbox, a creative space for students from all disciplines to come together and actively learn about artificial intelligence. Wayne, take it away.
– Thank you, Alex. My interest in FAU started with their reputation of research, especially in the field of neuroscience. The office of undergraduate research has a dedicated group of faculty and staff dedicated to helping students along their path of becoming the next great researcher. Interested in anything other than science? Well, there’s research opportunities in every field and the office of undergraduate research is here to help. In addition to great faculty, FAU has partnered with the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience and the Florida campuses are doing research, giving students a chance to work alongside world-renown scholars. I’m fortunate to be a part of two labs here at FAU, one that focuses on neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and another that focuses on evolutionary changes through genetic mutations. I love to know that my work will contribute to the growth of knowledge in our world of science. I find it important to surround myself with people that have a great work ethic and that are wise and kind enough to share their wisdom. Their advice not only helps me with my research, but also helps me in my personal growth as well. In my sophomore year, I found it in important to help people just like me. I became president of a research club named Learn, where I would help my fellow classmates get connected to their own research opportunities. And in a way, it gave me a chance to give personal life tips with the little wisdom that I have. As you can tell, research here at FAU not only gives you a space to conduct experiments, pursue a career, and make scientific advancements, but it also gives you a space to connect with great minds and like-minded people. That’s my story. Back to you, Alex.
– Thank you, Wayne! The important work you’re doing as an undergraduate student is truly exceptional, as are the connections you’ve made through FAU’s office of undergraduate research. How amazing that students in every field from the arts, to business, to science can win grants to do research, that is fantastic. Thanks again.