From first connecting via direct messages on Instagram to their arrival at Pearson Residential College, first-year students Mikah Finley and Willow Egan were eager to see each other on Wednesday as they moved into their new rooms.
“We met online when I posted about myself on a page dedicated to new students attending the University of Miami,” said Egan, a finance major from Providence, Rhode Island. “We met in person at Homecoming for the first time and we’ve been friends ever since.”
Though the duo aren’t roommates, they said they can’t wait to explore all that the University has to offer together.
Finley, who hails from Plano, Texas, and will be majoring in marketing, said the diversity, the city life and culture of Miami, and small class sizes sealed the deal on her attending the University.
“I love Miami, and I feel like it’s such a mix of people and things that I really wanted to be a part of,” said Finley, who went to a small high school and saw the same people often. “It was also important to me that the University offered small class sizes because I feel there’s more immersion, and you get to hear directly from your peers about their opinions and feelings, as opposed to a lecture hall.”
Kendall Guthrie is a first-year transfer student from Westchester, New York. She previously attended New York University (NYU) but decided she wanted to establish a new routine for herself outside of her hometown.
“I’m most looking forward to meeting new people and being in the sun,” Guthrie said cheerfully, as her parents, grandmother, and younger brother helped her unpack her suitcases. “I think that my social life overall is going to be really different, because last semester I was living at home while working and attending NYU. This will be very different from my normal routine—I think it’s going to be good for me.”
Engulfed with a mix of emotions from excited to nervous, the communications major anticipates receiving the best education while enrolled in the School of Communication. Her dad, John Guthrie, said he is also thrilled for his daughter as she embarks on a new journey of her own.
“It’s been a long time coming,” he said. “She’s had a long time to prepare for this moment and I believe she’s definitely ready for this transition.”
First-year students and roommates David Ziv and Jaxon Fogel are both from Los Angeles, California, and are excited to start their first semester of college side by side. The pair met through mutual friends and felt it was destined for them to live together this semester.
“I moved out here in August for an internship with an entertainment company, and I spent a lot of my time kicking it with my friends from back home who already attended the University,” said Fogel, a business management major. “I look forward to expanding my knowledge on the subject through the Miami Herbert Business School.”
Students and their families can expect a fun-filled week of ’Cane Kickoff happenings as they prepare for the Spring 2023 semester ahead. Classes begin on Tuesday, Jan. 17, and the Student Affairs Department of Housing and Residential Life (HRL), faculty and staff members, and student employees will offer students a lot of support as they begin learning and exploring.
“So far, 258 of our anticipated 313 new residents have checked into housing. Central check-in has also welcomed several new commuter students today,” said Tiffani Idol, director for Residential Life and Education. “Move in has been very smooth,” she added, noting that the students will have many signature campus events to enjoy.
Visit the HRL website for more information.
