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Seniors Say

Earlier this year, we asked a handful of UNH seniors to share their advice, reflections and other thoughts on their UNH experiences. Read on to hear what UNH’s newest alumni had to say.
I hope in 10 years I will be…
Happy and content with my life!
Cayleigh MalonE

Health Sciences
Centerville, Massachusetts

Coming to UNH hockey games with old friends!
Megan Charron

Business Administration: Management
Goffstown, New Hampshire

Graduate in cap and gown holding a diploma with one hand and pointing upward with the other, wearing colorful stoles and cords at a commencement ceremony.
Collage of graduation moments: student celebrating with family while holding flowers, graduate smiling on stage with diploma, and another graduate hugging someone tightly in an emotional embrace.
One thing I wish I knew AS A freshmaN:
It will get easier. In my freshman year, I was seven hours away from home, and there were so many moments where I wondered if I was meant to be this far away. But then I put myself out there. I was in student government, and then I attended a leadership summit, I got a leadership position, I threw myself into the process. I just kept going. I gave a speech last week to prospective Paul College students, and I got choked up about graduating. So, it does get easier.
Kyra Zamborsky

Economics; Political Science
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Plan out your classes
(right now it’s my last semester of college and I’m taking 8 a.m. classes).
Joshua Patterson

Animal Science
Sudbury, Massachusetts

I moved 2,000 miles away from home and when I got here, I felt super out of place … I couldn’t find people I was meshing with. And then all of a sudden I met this really great group of people and even throughout the years I’ve met more and more people that I consider friends, family, close workers. If I had known that freshman year, I think I would have relaxed a little bit, knowing that I would have eventually found those people and found the place that I’m supposed to be in.
Riley Wilson

Genetics
Originally from Colorado, family now lives in Maine

Video by UNH Marketing
One of the most important things I learned is:
Trying new things is always worth it.
Victoria Fluet

Business Administration:
Marketing; English/Journalism
Litchfield, New Hampshire

Don’t listen to the word ‘should.’ There’s no specific way your experience ‘should’ look. My first two years I was always comparing my experience to others, and it made me feel really lost. But once I changed my mindset, I realized it was all about what I wanted to experience. Do what makes you happy!
Emeri Jacobs

Political Science;
Women’s and Gender Studies
Hampton, New Hampshire

The opportunities are out there, but you have to make them happen.
Amelea Hauer

Earth Sciences
Forest Lake, Minnesota

Learning how to communicate and collaborate effectively.
Kaitlyn Jollimore

Psychology
Manchester, New Hampshire

Advice for future students:
Say yes to everything and savor every second.
Jenny Whitcomb

Justice Studies; Political Science
Keene, New Hampshire

You might be scared to take leaps, like running for an executive position in a club or applying for that research grant. But I say take those leaps of faith; even if it doesn’t work out, you still learn from it and learn to adapt.
Travis Dean-Ploof

Political and Legal Philosophy
Dover, New Hampshire

Don’t panic! It will all work out. It is stressful, especially as you get closer to graduation, but as long as you’re on top of your stuff, you are putting in your all, you won’t have an issue.
Rory Schmidt

English/Journalism
Newburyport, Massachusetts

Enjoy every minute; you’re going to miss it! The things I’m going to miss the most are the people — my friends are so close, I can just walk to their dorm; and the professors, being able to ask them for advice. I’ll also miss having a different class every day. It’s just been so great to have a new day every day here.

quote mark

Amanda Wentworth

Hotel and Hospitality Administration
Fremont, New Hampshire

Graduation cap decorated with pink background, paw prints, butterflies, and text that reads “It’s a great day to be a Wildcat.”
CAN’T GET ENOUGH COMMENCEMENT ENERGY?

Check out all the photos from Commencement 2025 on UNH’s flickr page: flickr.com/photos/unh/albums and watch videos of each ceremony, including Commencement speaker class of 1996 Scott Poteet’s words of wisdom to students on UNH’s YouTube channel: youtube.com/@UofNH

Excited graduate in cap and gown raising both arms and holding a diploma, wearing multiple colorful honor cords and a medallion.
PHOTOS BY UNH MARKETING
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