Dearest Student Body, Welcome back!

Another summer has come and gone, and here we all are again, ready (or maybe not so ready) to dive back into school.

Whether this is your first year at Groovy UV or your last, I want to recommend you try something: do something extracurricular at UVM.

Classes are important– they’re what you’re paying for, after all– but they are not the entire college experience.

UVM is the total package; in order to fully experience the University, you have to get involved.

My experience here at UVM has been an extremely formative one, and it is mostly because of the clubs and organizations which I joined.

I had a miserable time my first semester, but during my second semester I joined a few groups that changed my life for the better.

As cheesy as it may sound, joining UVM’s Salsa and Swing Society made a huge positive impact on my first year.

Joining this club helped me make new friends, gain leadership skills, find confidence in myself and learn how to trust others better.

It also got me involved in a larger network of dancing communities in the Burlington area that I now cannot imagine my life without.

I have traveled to a few different states and to Montreal for big dance events where I have learned so much about fostering a community. And all this just from dancing.

I don’t want to preach too much, but think about it. You don’t want to leave college having only gained a bachelor’s degree. Get involved. Join something, anything. Even if you turn out to hate it, even if it’s just for a semester or a week.

Try something new. You might end up growing more than you imagined you could.