\u201cI think when people hear about UConn\u2019s Learning Communities, they think it is all work and no play. But that\u2019s not how it is,\u201d says Joel Thomas, a junior majoring in finance.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not nerds!\u201d he continues. \u201cWe are students exploring our passions, excelling in our classes, and having a really good time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas, who grew up in Dubai, serves as the president of the Learning Communities Executive Council, supporting UConn\u2019s 26 diverse residential learning communities. More than 2,800 first- and second-year students opt to live in a residential learning community, including more than 40 percent of the incoming class.<\/p>\n
\n[In] UConn\u2019s Learning Communities, … we are students exploring our passions, excelling in our classes, and having a really good time. — Joel Thomas<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
The learning community options are plentiful, including major-based communities, from the Business Connections Learning Community and the Engineering Learning Community, to WiMSE (Women in Math, Science, and Engineering). Other learning communities, such as Innovation House, Humanities House, Connecting with the Arts House, and ScHOLA2RS (a learning community dedicated to African-American men) are open to students of any major.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Learning Communities are impacting so many lives,\u201d Thomas says. \u201cOur goal is to make sure students are better set for success and to get them to explore opportunities beyond their comfort zones.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the Council\u2019s recent accomplishments is the creation of a program to pair undergraduate students with faculty who will welcome them as research assistants. Beyond the academic, the organization hosts block parties, LC Spirit Week, and a Field Day.<\/p>\n
\u201cJoel is a driven, charismatic go-getter with great potential for a successful career in business,\u201d says Helen DeBald, advisor to the Council and a coordinator of first-year programs. \u201cI am struck by his ability to balance many obligations while remaining authentic and invested in the UConn community. It is clear he is someone who does not take opportunities for granted.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas has a hearty laugh and a ready smile. When told he was erroneously identified as a native of Bermuda, he laughed. \u201cAt least people would know where that is! No one has heard of Bahrain,\u201d he says. His parents currently live in Bahrain, a nation of 30 islands in the Arabian Gulf, which is what he defines as home.<\/p>\n
As an international student, it took a while for UConn to feel familiar, he says. He had searched for a college with a strong business program and a beautiful campus. Having family in Connecticut sealed the deal.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the hardest part was being so far away from home and having to adjust to a new culture in such a short period of time,\u201d he says. \u201cHowever, being in the Business Connections Learning Community (BCLC) really helped me understand the way things work here, and it also helped make some incredible friends who definitely made the transition a lot smoother.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a member of the BCLC, Thomas was networking with business professionals by his third week of class.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour career development starts early on,\u201d he says. \u201cThat\u2019s what I most enjoyed about living in the learning community \u2026 the exposure, the lunch-and-learns, the alumni coming to talk to us. You can\u2019t put a price on that. I like that, at UConn, they don\u2019t \u2018throw you in the deep end.\u2019 The programs are really designed to help you with your classes, your network, and your future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas entered UConn as a management major, but was paired with a mentor, Ben Duell, an investment banking associate at Goldman Sachs, an experience that drew him to finance.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would love to work at a big bank,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m a finance guy, so I dream about Wall Street.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas is already thinking of earning a master\u2019s degree after he graduates in 2019. What will he miss most about UConn after he leaves Storrs?<\/p>\n
\u201cNot having any bills to worry about yet!\u201d he jokes. \u201cSeriously, my friends. I\u2019ve made some incredible friends at UConn, who are both very driven and very fun. I think the variety of people you meet on a daily basis is incredible, people from different cultures and walks of life. When you get into the workplace, I don\u2019t think you get to meet people with such diverse interests and personalities.\u201d<\/p>\n
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