UVA Student Spotlights
Sydney Peoples
Name: Sydney Peoples
Year: Fourth Year
Major: Commerce (Marketing Concentration, Data Analytics Track) and French
Hometown: Princeton, New Jersey
Why you chose UVA: My dad went to UVA (College of Arts and Sciences ’89) so I practically grew up on Grounds. But, pretty much from day one, I decided that I didn’t want to go to UVA for that very reason. Eventually, though, during my junior year of high school, I started looking at colleges more seriously and realized that UVA was actually a school that I was interested in. And, the rest is history!!
Involvement at UVA: Outreach Student Advisory Committee, University Programs Council Marketing PR & Social Coordinator, Teaching Assistant for COMM 2000 (reach out to me with questions about the Commerce School!!)
What’s something you wish you had known during the college application/decision process? I was never too worried about the college application process. I’m a pretty firm believer in things working out in the end, so I try to – for the most part – just trust the process. I wanted to go to UVA and so I did my best to create a strong application, while still being myself. I never felt the need to ‘boost’ my resume by signing up for classes that I thought admissions officers would want to see. If anything, maybe I wish I knew a little bit more about the financial aid process, because that is still completely foreign to me.
Thoughts/feelings about diversity at UVA: As far as diversity at UVA, I think it’s a bit of, “you get what you sign up for.” I’ve known that UVA was a predominately white institution my whole life and, especially since it’s a public university, I knew that the demographics of students would reflect the overall population of America, which is mostly white. That is all changing though, as more and more people of color are joining the University community, and the overall population is skewing more diverse than in the past. I think that there is always more that can be done – but I also think that is due to the larger societal issues around diversity in the United States. Overall, I think diversity is a tricky area for the school because it is a public institution, but, especially after everything that has happened in the past two years, I think it is important and necessary for the school to continue to work towards a more inclusive and diverse landscape for all students.
Advice for incoming students? I would say be yourself and say “hi” to someone before they say “hi” to you. I am inherently shy by nature and talking to new people has never been something I’ve been comfortable with. I wish that I would have talked to more people and taken the initiative into my own hands, instead of waiting for other people to take that leap for me. I also think that sometimes people will recognize you, but worry that you might not remember the conversation you had with them the other day, so if you make it a point to reach out to them, instead of waiting for it to go the other way around you will be surprised at how many people take notice and reach out to you going forward.
Bodos order: Unpopular opinion, but I do NOT like Bodo’s. I’ll blame it on the New Jersey in me, but I really never understood the hype. The ‘Parisian’ sandwich at Corner Juice is amazing though! 10/10 recommend!
Sydney Peoples, McIntire School of Commerce, Class of 2020, [email protected]
Sebastian Perez
Name: Sebastian Perez
Year: Third Year
Major: Commerce
Hometown: Fairfax, Virginia
Cultural Background: Puerto Rican
Why did you choose UVA? I like slightly larger schools, so UVA was ideal for me because there are a wide variety of different groups you can be a part of and the University still provides a challenging academic environment. The school is also two hours away from home, which is just far enough to really feel like I’m living independently without it being hard to get home if I need to.
What are your involvements at UVA, and what do these involvements mean to you? Apart from my classes, I’m currently serving as the Director of Events for the Latino Student Network at McIntire, the Outreach Chair for Culture of Respect Educators (CORE), a “Familia” head for the Hispanic/Latinx Peer Mentor Program (PMP), and the Diversity and Outreach Chair of the Inter-Fraternity Council Governing Board. While these involvements pertain to distinct organizations, the common denominator is that they each require a measurable amount of community engagement in order to be successful, and I tend to measure my success based on the amount of people benefiting from my efforts. So despite these involvements taking a lot of my time, the projects I’ve accomplished are actually what continue to energize me because I get to see the impact my work has on different segments of the student population.
How do you view diversity at UVA? We are not where we should be. The conversations are finally beginning, but we are far from finished. That being said, I have a lot of pride in our student community and the faculty who have taken the initiative to work towards a more integrated and inclusive University. I’m a bit more than halfway through my undergraduate experience, and we have already made significant progress through student-led efforts.
When we take ownership of what we want to accomplish, then we can do so much more than we thought was possible. The people I’ve met consistently demonstrate that fact every day, and I’m excited to be a part of what comes next!
How would you describe your experience at UVA? It’s really had its ups and downs. I think we have a tendency to reinforce expectations for students to have to do something as a component of your time here, which is not always healthy. But nevertheless, my involvements have afforded me a lot of opportunities for growth and I definitely feel like a different person than who I was when I first arrived.
While I’ve had some great personal successes, I’ve probably had just as many failures which are equally important for my growth. So basically everything has been a learning experience.
Why should students apply to UVA? Although everyone’s “reason” for applying may differ, the University has a lot to offer its students in terms of educational resources and more. These resources have been useful in helping me realize my academic and career goals.
Because we have so much student involvement, I feel that UVA prompts its community to actively pursue their personal and leadership goals. So if you want to find a place to continue to elevate yourself and those around you, then the people at UVA can support you in doing that.
Sebastian Perez, McIntire School of Commerce, Class of 2021, [email protected]
Year: Third Year
Major: Commerce
Hometown: Fairfax, Virginia
Cultural Background: Puerto Rican
Why did you choose UVA? I like slightly larger schools, so UVA was ideal for me because there are a wide variety of different groups you can be a part of and the University still provides a challenging academic environment. The school is also two hours away from home, which is just far enough to really feel like I’m living independently without it being hard to get home if I need to.
What are your involvements at UVA, and what do these involvements mean to you? Apart from my classes, I’m currently serving as the Director of Events for the Latino Student Network at McIntire, the Outreach Chair for Culture of Respect Educators (CORE), a “Familia” head for the Hispanic/Latinx Peer Mentor Program (PMP), and the Diversity and Outreach Chair of the Inter-Fraternity Council Governing Board. While these involvements pertain to distinct organizations, the common denominator is that they each require a measurable amount of community engagement in order to be successful, and I tend to measure my success based on the amount of people benefiting from my efforts. So despite these involvements taking a lot of my time, the projects I’ve accomplished are actually what continue to energize me because I get to see the impact my work has on different segments of the student population.
How do you view diversity at UVA? We are not where we should be. The conversations are finally beginning, but we are far from finished. That being said, I have a lot of pride in our student community and the faculty who have taken the initiative to work towards a more integrated and inclusive University. I’m a bit more than halfway through my undergraduate experience, and we have already made significant progress through student-led efforts.
When we take ownership of what we want to accomplish, then we can do so much more than we thought was possible. The people I’ve met consistently demonstrate that fact every day, and I’m excited to be a part of what comes next!
How would you describe your experience at UVA? It’s really had its ups and downs. I think we have a tendency to reinforce expectations for students to have to do something as a component of your time here, which is not always healthy. But nevertheless, my involvements have afforded me a lot of opportunities for growth and I definitely feel like a different person than who I was when I first arrived.
While I’ve had some great personal successes, I’ve probably had just as many failures which are equally important for my growth. So basically everything has been a learning experience.
Why should students apply to UVA? Although everyone’s “reason” for applying may differ, the University has a lot to offer its students in terms of educational resources and more. These resources have been useful in helping me realize my academic and career goals.
Because we have so much student involvement, I feel that UVA prompts its community to actively pursue their personal and leadership goals. So if you want to find a place to continue to elevate yourself and those around you, then the people at UVA can support you in doing that.
Sebastian Perez, McIntire School of Commerce, Class of 2021, [email protected]
Mariam Gbadamosi
Name: Mariam Gbadamosi
Hometown: New Castle, Delaware
High School: The Charter School of Wilmington
Year at UVA: 2nd year (Mariam is now a 4th year)
Major/Department: Undeclared; Prospective Human Biology
Involvement at UVA (ie., organizations, research, study aboard, service)
- Office of African American Affairs Peer Adviser
- Peer Health Educator
- OSAC Advisory Board
- I am a research assistant working with a sociology professor on a project investigating how student relationships impact sexual assault on college campuses.
- UVA in Costa Rica summer study abroad to complete my spanish language requirement
If there was one thing you wish someone had told you during the college admission process, what would that have been?
I wish that someone would have told me that everything is going to work out, so I should enjoy my senior year and not stress too much. There are so many moving parts in the admissions process that you can’t control, and you should not focus on those parts. You can only control yourself and what you do, so you should focus on doing the best that you can and let the chips fall where they may.
Why did you decide to come to the University of Virginia?
I decided to come to UVA after I visited for the first time during Days on the Lawn. After that day, I could imagine myself succeeding here academically and socially. Most of all, I just had the feeling that this was the place that I wanted to be for the next 4 years. I am an out of state student, so I had some anxiety about moving far away from home, but I knew that the opportunities here were worth it.
Share with us your thoughts/feelings about diversity at the University of Virginia.
I think may minority groups are underrepresented at the University, and this is a big problem for representation. It’s hard to succeed in a place where you don’t always see people that look like you. That being said, the minority communities here are strong and tightly knit. There are many organizations that provide resources and a strong support network for students and make you feel like they really care about your experience academically, socially, and mentally.
Mariam Gbadamosi, College of Arts and Sciences, Class of 2020, [email protected]