If there’s one thing Giovanna Doria says surprised her about UConn, it’s that she found what she describes as “my people” very early in her time here.

Some of her best friendships, she says, were made during her first week of classes, which was most shocking to her given the size of the campus and the number of people in Storrs.

Nonetheless, the double major in speech, language, and hearing sciences and American Sign Language studies notes that she felt at home from Day 1.

Why did you choose UConn?

To be honest, I almost didn’t apply to UConn! It was one of the last applications I submitted after my high school advisor suggested I add one more onto my list. After I found out I was accepted, I figured I might as well visit before deciding. As cliché as it may sound, I really felt at home as soon as I stepped foot onto campus. I also loved how many opportunities UConn had to offer – I knew if I wanted to change my major or try something new, I would easily be able to do so.

What’s your major or field of study, and what drew you to it?

I’m a double major in speech, language, and hearing sciences (SLHS) and American Sign Language (ASL) studies. I’ve always known I wanted a “helping” career and realized being a speech-language pathologist or audiologist was how I wanted to achieve this goal. As for ASL, I was always interested in learning it and figured it would be a great skill to have regardless of what career I ended up choosing. I’ve come to realize I’m most interested in the “hearing” side of SLHS, which is why I’m planning to become an audiologist.

Did you have a favorite professor or class?

Two classes in particular come to mind for this question – ASL 6 with Mike Schlang and Introduction to Phonetic Principles with Emily Myers. My ASL skills improved drastically after taking ASL 6, as it was entirely discussion-based and therefore an amazing way to practice both our expressive and receptive skills. His class also gave me the opportunity to go to the American School for the Deaf and read books to some of the preschool students during their story time. As for Phonetics, we spent a large portion of the class learning the International Phonetic Alphabet to transcribe speech, and I ended up enjoying it much more than I originally expected. While I have not yet had the privilege of having a class with her, my Honors thesis advisor and mentor, Torri Ann Woodruff-Gautherin, has also been a huge part of my academic journey. It’s because of her support that I’ve been able to experience so many wonderful opportunities and make so many connections in my field.

What activities were you involved in as a student?

Throughout my time at UConn, I’ve been involved in various activities such as ASL Club, National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA), Archery Club, and Page to Stage Productions. I’ve been most active with Page to Stage, having been involved with nine different productions over the course of my four years here.

What’s one thing that surprised you about UConn?

The most surprising part about my UConn experience was how quickly I found “my people” on such a large campus. I thought it would be hard to find “my people,” but I ended up meeting some of my best friends during my first week of classes.

What are your plans after graduation/receiving your degree?

After graduation, I will be continuing my education here at UConn as I pursue my Doctorate of Audiology. I plan to go into early intervention and hope to support families with children who are D/deaf or hard of hearing as they navigate their child’s early years.

Any advice for incoming students?

It doesn’t hurt to try something once – even if you end up hating it.

What’s one thing everyone should do during their time at UConn?

Go to Horsebarn Hill to see the cows and watch the sunset.

What will always make you think of UConn?

Basketball!