As families across the nation and around the world celebrate their graduating college seniors, BEAM couldn’t be more proud to celebrate our own cohort of graduating seniors for the very first time! We wanted to take this moment to highlight a BEAM student who has been with us from the very beginning. Zavier attended BEAM Summer Away in 2011, our very first summer program. Over the years he has come back to BEAM as a counselor multiple times, and last summer he became the first BEAM alumni to play a leadership role at a summer site, serving as the Director of Student Life.
He sat down with BEAM (virtually of course) to share some wisdom from his time at college.
What are you most proud of from your time at college?
Well, to start I am very proud that I was able to finish my studies with a major in both Computer Science and Art. When I first went to UAlbany I had gone to study Computer Science and was told that I'd probably end up switching to informatics because Comp Sci is a hard major. I was also told that I shouldn't major in Art because it was too easy and I wouldn't be able to find a real job. So when I started college I challenged myself to see if I could do both. From studying these two subjects I was able to better understand my interest and what my education meant to me. From studying Comp Sci I learned how to be more patient and proactive with my school work. With Art I learned how to organize my own thoughts and work with intent.
What was a favorite moment from your time with BEAM (so far)?
Although I've had many memorable moments with BEAM, one of my favorite moments is the hiking trip we went on last summer [2019] at BEAM Summer Away. It was nice because a lot of the campers bonded with the staff in unexpected ways. It was a pretty calm trip and I was glad that everyone else enjoyed it too.
Looking back at your college career, what surprises you most?
Looking back at my college career, the thing that surprised me the most was how much planning you actually need to do to really have a semester that works for you. When I started college I figured I'd be fine if I just went to my classes, but I learned that it takes more than just going to class to be successful. At first I had to get used to making time to study. Then I learned how to properly make my class schedules. After I understood what worked for me I was able to stress about classes less and organize my time better. I believe I was so surprised by these things because it was one of the responsibilities I didn't really think about with the new found freedom that I had.
Overall, my college experience was pretty different than what I expected.
There were many times that things did not go as I planned, but those events really helped me mature and change my perspective on my work and my interest. I also learned the importance of having people around you that share the same interests. Sometimes opinions may differ, however I saw how differences in ideas may lead to better ones. From learning how to work around roadblocks and work with others, I was able to enjoy my experience. I was able to let go of expectations on how I wanted things to go and started using what I had to reach my goals.