Majors: International Studies & Gender and Health
Hometown: Traverse City, Michigan
Where did you transfer from? Northwestern Michigan College
Why did you choose to transfer to the University of Michigan? As a low-income student, I transferred to the University of Michigan for the Go Blue Guarantee! Most college students I know had a great deal of student debt and I wanted to avoid that at all costs so I was grateful that LSA was offering the funding and that their program allowed me to explore my interests.
Based on your personal experience, what is the one thing you want to tell new transfer students? I would tell new transfer students to be as active and social on campus as possible. When I transferred I struggled with imposter syndrome and was afraid I wouldn’t fit in with the traditional students. Once I realized I belonged here as much as anyone else I started seizing tons of opportunities to build connections and make friends on campus. In my opinion, this component to being a student at UMich is so important and I wish I had realized it sooner!
How did you make friends and meet other students on campus? Living in the Inter-Cooperative Council (ICC) my first year on campus helped me start to make friends, and exploring student groups at Festifall and on Maize Pages helped me find other students with similar interests to me. Along with this, being social with people in my classes helped me practice building my confidence and make connections with people studying the same things I am.
What is your favorite part about being an LSA transfer student? My favorite part of being an LSA transfer student is the other LSA transfer students! The community of transfer students here helps remind me that I’m not alone in my experience and that there’s a whole staff of people who understand what it’s like to make the transition from a different institution to UMich.
What do you know now that you wished you knew before transferring to the University of Michigan? I wish I had known how useful professors can be. I came to UMich with the idea that I’d be overlooked as a student in large classes, but I later learned that if you’re deeply interested in a class, your professor will likely connect you to more opportunities in the field you’d like to study. Along with this, building relationships with your professors opens the door for them to write letters of recommendation for you. If you’re applying to masters programs after graduating, this is a very valuable resource, and is best utilized when the professor’s values align with your own.
Why did you choose your specific major(s)? I chose International Studies because for as long as I can remember I’ve loved learning about and exploring different cultures. Within the sub plans available in the major, I found my interests most aligned with the field of global public health and sustainability so I chose Global Environment and Health. Taking classes in this major led to learning about women’s health and eventually taking classes that overlapped with Women and Gender Studies courses. It was here that I discovered my passion for women’s health and these courses that led me to take on the second major of Gender and Health.
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