Homestead seniors, although cherishing their high school friendships, are open-minded about connecting with others in their next chapter on a college campus.
Ella Endres, Sean Contardi, and Ariana Augustine, seniors, have very personalized backgrounds, experiences, and aspirations. Their personalities have uniquely influenced their ideal college atmospheres, yet they all eagerly anticipate creating new friendships.
Ella Endres, who will be attending the University of Miami of Ohio, wants to use the opportunity of experiencing a new environment to traverse never-explored interests, all while fostering new relations with other students.
“I think if I were to choose a sport, it would not be a normal sport that you’d find somewhere. Curling, fencing, figure skating, like literally anything,” Endres said.
On a similar note, Sean Contardi, who will be attending University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, plans to use his current talents to curate new, unanticipated friendships with those who share similar passions and interests.
“I do want to try their club volleyball program because I played club volleyball throughout high school and I feel like that’d be cool,” Contardi said.
Since he will be rooming with a friend transferring from UW-Milwaukee, Sean also plans to social network with his roommate to meet people from other walks of life.
“I’ll meet [my friends’] friends and then, you know, connections turn to other connections,” Contardi said.
On the other hand, Ariana Augustine, who will be attending the University of Dubuque in Iowa, will use her desire for a peaceful, relaxed college experience and her independent personality to create close relations with those who share similar passions for her intended major of aviation and professional aspirations within this field.
Ariana believes that her desired college experience shapes how she will approach new people and foster these new friendships. Her tenacious spirit to pursue her passions and discover her purpose work in tandem to finding others who share similar values. These specifically are reflected in the qualities of her selected future roommate.
“I think that she is well rounded, respectful, and emotionally intelligent,” Augustine said.
Endres, Augustine and Contardi are all hoping to connect with others through their investment of who they desire to be as a person in this new chapter of their lives. While they may each desire something different in their next chapter, they will approach it with confidence and enthusiasm.
“I’m not nervous at all. I’m actually very excited,” Endres said.
