“The reason why I came to the University of Idaho was honestly because of athletics,” Jamie Morgan said. “I didn’t really know what the school was until I got into contact with my coach.” Before becoming a Vandal, Morgan was living in Houston, Texas, contemplating whether moving to Moscow might be the right choice for her future.
“The moment I came on a visit here, it was life-changing and the moment I left Moscow, I knew this was the school for me,” Morgan said.
Morgan is a senior studying Marketing and Business Management and has been a member of UI’s swim team since her freshman year. She’s also worked her way up to becoming an advisor within Career Services, which has helped her further develop a professional skillset.
Reflecting on her personal growth, Morgan appreciates the welcoming environment she’s found while being a student at UI.
“The university is not a place where you’re going to get judged,” Morgan said. “It’s not a place for hatred, and Moscow has brought out the best in me.”
With graduation a little over a month away, Morgan will soon be done completing homework assignments. One of her favorite class projects she’s been a part of involved collaborating with the Moscow Antique Mall to discuss marketing strategies.
“Knowing that even something I’m doing for a grade can help somebody in the long run is so valuable,” Morgan said. “Being able to help a business outside of a class is more hands-on experience than I’ve gotten from a job this far.”
Similarly, Gia Mazzarella recalls the times when she’s been able to apply her creativity to real-world scenarios as some of the most significant moments during her Vandal experience. Currently, she serves as the editor-in-chief of UI’s student-led magazine, the Blot, and directed its recent rebranding.
“It’s so awesome that I’ve had this opportunity to contribute to something so real,” Mazzarella said. “It’s a real job and a real publication, but at the same time, it’s a pretty low-stakes environment.”
Mazzarella was first interested in working for Blot after seeing its booth at Palousafest during her freshmen year but waited until her sophomore year to join its team as a designer. “It’s funny because it inspired me then, and two years later I was the one behind the table at Palousafest,” Mazzarella said. “I would encourage any freshman who has their eye on a club to go out and join it and, who knows, you might end up leading it.”
Because she’s majoring in Studio Art and Design, Mazzarella has taken her fair share of creative courses including three semesters’ worth of ceramics. Nowadays, she’s working on throwing an art show for her senior capstone project alongside her peers. Their artwork will be on display during an exhibition from April 15 to May 11 in the Ridenbaugh Gallery.
Outside of the classroom, Mazzarella has liked how easy it’s been to form connections at UI. “There’s not a day that goes by where I walk on campus and I don’t recognize somebody, so it’s been cool to make friends from all over the place,” Mazzarella said. She still lives with the same set of roommates she was partnered with in the dorms when she first started school.
While Mazzarella lived in on-campus housing as a freshman, Devin Schafer decided to join UI’s large web of Greek life and go through the rush process.
“UI’s Greek life is a good thing for anyone to be a part of if they’re up for it,” Schafer said. “Your first year, you either have to live in the dorms or be a part of Greek life, so I would encourage (students) to at least go through rush. You can decide you don’t want to (join a chapter) at the end.”
Schafer is majoring in Agriculture Economics and will also be graduating with a Commodity Risk Management certificate. Coming from a farming family of Vandal alumni, Schafer expected to eventually attend UI—though he never expected how unconventional his experience would end up being.
“When we got here, we were still going through COVID-19 and we had some events on campus that made it pretty challenging for everyone last year, whether you were directly involved or not,” Schafer said. “Despite a lot of differences among people on campus, when we have an event that’s unfortunate, you can really see the strength of Idaho.”
Aside from his participation in Alpha Gamma Rho, Schafer has also enjoyed the chance to serve as the president of two UI clubs: the Young Farmers and Ranchers and Agriculture Risk Management clubs. Schafer credits all of his UI professors, especially Norm Ruhoff and Andres Trujillo-Barrera, for helping him get involved.
“I do want to make sure that my professors are highlighted because they really made my experience good,” Schafer said. “They’ve been really key.”
Jackson Baldwin also emphasized his appreciation for his UI mentors, especially Kelly Christensen, when reflecting on the things he’s accomplished as a Vandal. “She’s one of the best faculty in the entire school,” Baldwin said. “I really recommend that (students) check up with coaches and make some goals.”
Baldwin is studying both Computer Science and Saxophone Performance. He’s worked on two senior capstone projects: one is focused on analyzing pictures of breast cancer to determine their degree of danger and the other was centered around a musical piece he performed during his senior recital entitled “Cyber Bird.”
Aside from academic pursuits, Baldwin also found success in extracurricular pursuits. He created his own chess club after discovering there wasn’t one already at UI.
“If you have an interest that you like and you want it to happen, there are people on campus that can help you make it happen,” Baldwin said. “There’s just so much that you can do at this school and a lot of your experience is what you make of it.”
Despite the variety between their backgrounds and pathways, when asked what it means to be a Vandal, each of the four near-graduating seniors indicated they felt a strong sense of acceptance while being a part of the student body.
“Being a Vandal means supporting each other,” Mazzarella said.
For Moscow’s campus, the Spring 2024 Commencement will be held on May 11 with two ceremonies in the morning and afternoon, respectively. More information concerning the upcoming graduation ceremonies can be found online.
Herman Roberts can be reached at [email protected].