Letter from the Editor
Dear Patriots,
Woah, we made it! This is going to be our last issue of the semester. Along with that, it is also our 12th issue of the semester—a feat that my staff will be the first to do. Before I get all sentimental, I want to congratulate all of our graduating seniors on making it through and getting that bread.
The fact that you all will be receiving a degree is nothing short of amazing. Even in a society where most careers require a degree of some sort, I know many people that do not have the means to afford a higher education. Some of you that are graduating from here will probably be first-generation college graduates, and that is amazing. This is a big deal, regardless if you want to view it in that way or not. I’m proud of you all, and you have many other people who are proud of you all too. You are our future, and I think it’s in safe hands.
I am completing my fourth year here, and still have one more semester to go before I obtain that grain myself. Seeing my friends leave is so bittersweet. I remember coming here in the August of 2015, not knowing a soul and becoming great, great friends with a lot of you. Thank you for the memories, and I’m excited to see where life takes us all.
I hope you’ve enjoyed these 12 issues, because we’ve all enjoyed making them for you. The fact that my staff created not just 12 issues, but 12 quality issues is fantastic, and we have received great feedback from all of you.
To my staff, I know working for me isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, but thank you for everything you’ve done for this paper over this semester. You guys have taught me more than you will ever know, and being able to call you family is so special to me. Thank you!
Fire it up,
Mike Krzyston, Editor-In-Chief
Editor-In-Chief
Mike Krzyston
Managing Editor
Leanne Gregory
Faculty Adviser
Jeremiah Massengale
Staff
Emilee Agee
Haley Bullock
Taylor Duke
Abigail Fletcher
Jessica McFerron
Alex Nunn
River Phillippe
Dan Williams
Maranda Young
Front cover by Mike Krzyston
Back cover by Taylor Duke
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The Patriot is the student publication of the University of the Cumberlands. Our goal is to provide timely and original content by highlighting campus news and views.
Award-winning member of the Associated Collegiate Press and Kentucky Press Association.
Spreading sunshine from past to present
A profile of senior Summer Walter
BY KATELYN EVANS Guest Writer
“Have you heard of Big Chungus?” UC senior Summer Walter asked while holding back a laugh. I chuckled at the name and shook my head with a curious no.
“My kids are obsessed with it, and oh my God, I have to show you this song--there’s a Chungus song.” The words rushed out of her mouth as if to make room for the boisterous laughter that could hardly wait. I listened as an auto-tuned, male voice sung about this “chunky boi” that was truly a plussize Bugs Bunny. That image had been captured just at the right moment. It was a few days later that Summer Walter had taken her paints from their place, and pulled a bright, lime green figure out of her bag. I lived with her; she was my suitemate, so we crossed paths on the daily.
“What’s that?” I asked as she suddenly informed me how one of her students had used his 3D printer to print his own Big Chungus, and how he didn’t like the color of it and was going to throw it away.
“I said, ‘Well, I’ll take it home and paint it for you and bring it back!’ and the kid was like ‘Really?,’” she explained.
It was in this moment that I realized just how far the future music educator would go for her student’s happiness.
Summer Walter grew up in Winfield, Tennessee her whole life, and came of age with her Jack Russell mix, Jewell, by her side. She had always had a passion for music, but didn’t have the best experience with her music educators before coming to the University of the Cumberlands.
“That was my goal in the beginning, to make a more positive experience for my kids,” Walter explains, but then adds, “Now, after I’ve gotten to really work with kids, I really like to be apart of the ‘a-ha’ moment that kids get whenever they finally learn something.”
Discussing the cuteness of that moment, as if to watch a light bulb turn on, her cheeks begin tugging a smile. The previous story of a handpainted meme figurine leads into what age group of students she is most excited to teach, as many future educators may be turned away by their reputation. “I love middle schoolers,” she exclaimed, “they’re so funny and sarcastic, I can be sarcastic with them!”
Remembering my days in middle school, and perhaps you’re remembering yours, I could never be paid enough to even step into a
classroom of pre-pubescent goofballs; nevertheless lead them throughout the year. Being fortunate enough to live with Summer her final semester of college, I got to see first hand the passion she has for her students and for teaching. Every night that she came back from her day she was so excited to share about her students and what they had learned. She shared her creative ideas of getting them engaged and their reactions to it all. When the days were counting down to leaving her first placement at North Laurel Middle School, her attachment to those students began to really show.
“I got attached to one class in particular, because my first couple of weeks there, my cooperating teacher just handed me the reigns,” Walter recalls as she puts down her wrap from Tossed. “I learned all their names, I had a really good connection with them, and a positive experience as well.”
Sharing something that she hasn’t said to too many people, Walter added, “Once the last day came that I had to see them, once they walked out that door for the last time, I cried. I tried to wait until I got to my car, but I just could not.”
Speaking to her close friend, and fellow Cumberlands student, Nick Hibbard, he mentions the joy and the spark that will be Ms. Summer Walter. “It is just so much fun to just sit back and watch her teach, especially at Williamsburg. I would go watch her sometimes. She isn’t afraid to try something new, and she’s so open with the kids. She’s quite the character, quite the funny person; kids respond well to her because she can turn anything into a joke.”
In closing, Summer reflects her time spent at Cumberlands’ as a music and education major. She recalls her favorite memory, from a year she cannot place, being that of the excitement of a crowd full of high school marching band members, and their unbridled excitement to what the Marching Pats felt was a very basic show. She mentally puts herself back onto the football field that day to hear the crowd singing with them and cheering them on.
To anyone else, incoming freshman or current Patriots wanting to experience a memory just like Summer’s, her advice is to not be intimidated by experience or the current members of the band, and to “just have fun.”
Photo by Mike Krzyston
A God-loving, passionate woman
A profile of senior Jordan Jeffries
BY: HALEY BULLOCK
Staff Writer
To put it simply, Jordan Jeffries is a God-loving, passionate person. To elaborate, the somewhat reserved human services and psychology major from Shelbyville, KY is passionate about her love for God and helping others in her community.
Jeffries, a UC senior who recently married Mason Jeffries, plans to use her passion for helping others as a career path with by beginning her master’s degree in substance abuse and mental health counseling following her graduation. She describes herself as, “[A] Christian, passionate, and analytical.” When asked to explain “analytical,” she says, “I think about every little detail in every situation. I weigh out the pros and cons and try to think of everything logically more than an emotional standpoint.”
Allyson Tabor, one of Jeffries’ close friends, says, “She is very determined and does whatever she sets her mind to. She is very protective and is not afraid to tell it how it is. She is a great planner and organizer, whether it be for school or planning a wedding. She doesn’t put up with people that treat her wrong.”
Tabor clearly knows her friend well as she rattles off these many admirable qualities of Jeffries, especially since they have been friends since Tabor’s freshman year, making their friendship one lasting two years. Her relationship with God has been a crucial aspect in Jeffries’ life. “I love waking up and doing my devotions every day. They help me to wake up I the morning and find peace in my day. There is an indescribable joy that is to be found in each piece of scripture.” Her passion and love for God is clear through her statements and the earnestness of her words. Besides God, two other influences in her life has been her grandparents. “They have always been ready to help my sister and I if we were in a time of need. They also love the Lord and were the ones that introduced me to church. They always help one another and other people in the community with everything they have to offer.”
Jeffries says her faith plays a key role and important factor that influences her daily life and decisions. “My faith is something that I absolutely could not live without. It helps me to find peace and joy in situations that would have initially defeated me, it gives me hope of a bright future and it helps to guide me through decisions that I make throughout life. My faith also helps to fuel my
passion to help others regardless of their situation and their needs,” said Jeffries. Jeffries’ passions not only lie with her love for God, but with her desire to help others as well. By pursuing a career involved with substance abuse and mental health counseling, her passion obviously runs deep enough to make that desire a driving point in the decision of her career. She says, “I am absolutely passionate about helping others in the highest capacity that I can possible. I love seeing people work to grow as an individual and reach their highest potential. I believe that everyone has the opportunity to grow and become the best possible version of themselves.”
When asked about the time in which she knew what she wanted to with her life, Jeffries responds, “I knew my freshman year that I really wanted to help others, but I was not sure to what capacity and population I had wanted to work with. It wasn’t until the spring semester of my junior year that I had discovered that I wanted to do substance abuse counseling and work with clients that have mental health disorders.”
Dr. Steven Halstead, a human services professor and counselor at UC, describes her passion as, “One of the ways to ascertain if a student such as Ms. [Jeffries] will be successful in the field of Human Services is to look at what they do after class is over. For instance, do they volunteer in their community, do they step in to help those who are experiencing loss, are they an advocate for those who do not have a voice, etc. Generally, if they meet these criteria, they also enjoy their coursework due to their eagerness to learn about tools they may use after graduation.”
Jordan Jeffries has developed this strong mindset towards her passions of her goals and aspirations. Maintaining such a diligent mindset requires a lot of work and combined with being a full-time student and being involved by being one of UC’s resident assistants; it is definitely no easy feat.
Jordan Jeffries, an undeniably passion and persistent woman, knows what she wants out of life and is willing to work to get it. With the aid of God, her family, friends, her husband Mason, her passion fueling her drive, and the will to get it all done, great things are in store for Jordan Jeffries a 2019 University of the Cumberlands graduate.
Photo byMaranda Young
Always Kidd-ing
A profile of senior Nick Kidd
BY CHELSEA CANADY Guest Writer
There he is, UC senior Nicholas Kidd, up on stage with his fellow improv performer playing “Ding.” They’re pretending they’re at the zoo. Kidd says, “Look at the monkeys!” There’s a ding. “Lions!” Another ding. “Screaming children!” There’s no ding. He looks at the guy next to him, waiting for him to respond. The other actor responds, “I was more interested in those giraffes.” Ding! “That ice cream stand!” Ding! “Leaving this place!” Ding! “Those women!” Ding! “Those men!” No ding. Kidd takes a long pause. He finally opens his mouth “Yeah, what a hunk!” This is improv, so whatever Kidd acted out was not real. The game is called Ding.
In Ding, one is given a relationship or place, and when they hear a ding, they have to change what they said or how they said it. And one major rule of improv is that one can’t reject the world their fellow performer has built. Improv has been a huge part of Kidd’s life. “One thing I like about improv is that even if I’m having a bad day, when improv rehearsal is over with, I’m always in a good mood,” said Kidd.
One major conflict about Kidd is that he’s always busy. He says, “Normally, I would at least take 18 and a half hours a semester. I always had to do that. And then I would have to go act in plays, that would take up a lot of time. I’m not saying that I don’t enjoy it, it just takes up a lot of time that I don’t really have.” Kidd’s life on campus was mostly spent in the library.
A couple of his friends ask him if he wants to go out to McDonalds. Sadly, Kidd has to decline because he has to finish his homework and studying at the library. They understand, so they go. They come back two hours later and one of the friends has to print something out, so they go to the library and they
go in to find that Kidd’s still there. Jeremy Morgan, a good friend of Kidd, said, “I know 90 percent of the time it’s not his fault, but I don’t get to see him a lot. He locks himself away trying to do homework.” With Kidd being so busy, he barely has anytime for himself.
Although Kidd is a very busy man, he still finds time to worship. He had just recently got into Appalachian Ministries, which is a group that visits a group of children and teaches them about the gospel. Kidd said, “Working with the kids is a lot of fun. It’s always an adventure you never know what you’re going to get working with children! It’s also a plus to help impact them. These kids don’t come from a good environment. When you get to talk to them about God, it’s good to know that you might have an impact on this person’s life.” Kidd is the type of person that would be glad to share the gospel with someone, but not force it on someone when they don’t ask.
UC freshman Amber (Nic) Lewis says, “Nick Kidd is a very spontaneous guy, also very religious. He knows how to express his emotions and a very loyal friend.” Some of Kidd’s friends may not know he’s religious until they ask Kidd himself or hear it from another person. It’s not that he doesn’t want to share it. He’s willing to talk to anyone about the gospel and willing to listen to other people’s opinions.
Kidd has made many friends in his experience at University of the Cumberlands. He’s made a big impact on his friends and the theatre and will be missed.
Photo by Mike Krzyston
The Sky is the limit
A Q&A with Skyler Downs
BY MIKE KRZYSTON Editor-In-Chief
As seen on the billboards and promotional videos for UC, the lovable face of senior Skyler Downs is a staple of the university. A western Kentucky native, Downs is majoring in communications arts, and is pursuing a career in marketing and communications. An avid supporter of UC, and a follower of Christ, Downs radiates what it truly means to be a student of UC, which is putting others before self with a smile and a laugh. We had the opportunity to sit down and chat with the “face of UC” before she crosses the stage in May.
Mike Krzyston: Coming in to UC, why did you choose to come here? Skyler Downs: I transferred in as a sophomore from Western Kentucky Community College. I went to a conference that made me want to learn more about the Bible and stuff like that, so I Googled “Christian colleges near me” and Cumberlands popped up. I had never heard of it, came on a visit and loved it.
MK: You’re about to graduate from the communications arts department, what piqued your interest in that?
SD: Well, to be honest with you, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. In high school, I fell in love with marketing, but I didn’t want a business degree, because that’s a lot of math, and I’m not good at that. So I looked at the communication classes and started there and loved it.
MK: I know you’re a part of the school’s actual marketing and communications department, how did you become a part of that?
SD: I applied for a work-study position because it said I could make videos and do photography and that sounded fun. When I got the position and got asked for my help with a video, I figured they would have me edit and teach me a bunch of stuff, but they handed me a script. And that’s how I ended up in our videos.
MK: Right, so you’re known as the “face of the school.” You appear on our billboards and promotional videos and stuff like that, how did that shape your experience at the school?
SD: It’s been a lot of fun, and they have a lot of patience. What you see in the video isn’t how smoothly it goes in real life. So, people know me as the “face of the school,” which I guess is kind of true, but getting to actually know people through this and being able to grow with them has been great. It’s developed my communication skills, and helped with speaking in front of other people and has really helped me grow.
MK: Our Communication Arts department is home to many great professors and instructors that have impacted many students. Who would you say has had the most impact on your time here?
SD: Jordyne Carmack. She was the academic advisor I was placed with when I chose this major, and I actually left after one semester to go home. I didn’t get involved and didn’t feel like I fit in. I didn’t make friends, and it was my fault, but I still went home. Before I left, Jordyne actually prayed over me, and even FaceTimed, me over the summer and was like, “Are you ready to sign up for classes?” So I decided that I was coming back, and once I got back she became sort of this mentor to me, spiritually. You know, because of Jordyne Carmack, I learned to create content calendars and article reviews and communication strategy, and that’s all great, but really, because of her, I know Jesus more because I know her. And I think anyone she meets can say the same thing. She’s been like a spiritual mom, and mentor and friend to me, and that’s been the most important thing to me
Photos by Mike Krzyston
MK: This is a place where people’s lives can change unexpectedly, especially people who don’t really know what they want to do in life. What is some advice you would give to incoming UC freshmen that may be in the same boat?
SD: This is cliché, but I would definitely say to get involved. Don’t be that person that just sits in their dorm, because that was me and I went home. Get involved with a good, fun community that will surround you with a positive atmosphere. Be approachable, live each moment, soak it in and be able to take criticism. It goes by fast, and I know that this is all cliché stuff, but it really does.
MK: What are your plans after graduation?
SD: I’m actually moving to Ohio, and taking a marketing and communications position at this small company up there. I’m just trying to figure out what I want to do and see if I like it.
MK: Why did you choose that company in particular?
SD: One of my friends, her grandparents own the company, and they decided that they needed someone to do that, because they have no marketing or communications department at all. They asked me if I could come in and build it from the ground up, and that’s going to be hard but it sparked my interest because it will be a challenge. I think it will be fun.
MK: What has been your favorite skill you have learned here in the Communication Arts department?
SD: That’s hard. Probably learning how to be flexible. There’s going to be times in the workplace, in school or doing projects, where you’re going to get curveballs thrown at you and you’re just going to have to be flexible and learn how to adjust. Different timeframes, different days, every day is going to be different.
MK: What were some of your favorite things you were a part of around Williamsburg and UC?
SD: In Williamsburg, in particular, I have an internship with Immanuel, which is the church I go to here, along with a position in campus missionaries and those are two places I was involved in that really shaped me. Along with all the communications events, like the Mardi Gras parties and stuff like that where I help set up and stuff, I’ve been involved with a lot of different things and I’m very thankful.
MK: What has been your favorite experience as a student of UC?
SD: It’s hard to choose one. I don’t know if there’s one particular experience that stands out from the rest, they’ve all shaped me equally. Some of them may seem smaller than others, but looking back on them, they’ve all shaped me in the same way. Getting to learn from a variety of people has been great too. Every professor here has a different background, a different story, and a different life. Getting to see life from their lenses, lifestyles and beliefs has been so cool. It really shaped my view on life and the world.
MK: Any closing words for your peers?
SD: I just want to say thanks to Cumberlands in general, and to everyone that has played a part in my life. I’ll be the first one in my family to graduate college, so that’s cool. Thank you to the Communication Arts department. It’s been amazing. I love everybody!
Focussing on what’s ahead
A profile of senior Byan Ethan Manuel
BY TAYLOR DUKE
Staff Writer
In the last four years, Bryan Ethan Manuel has become the unofficial, student face of the University of the Cumberlands Digital Media Studio. Now in his last semester, Manuel, with his long, silky, black hair, is getting ready to say goodbye to his on campus oasis, the DMS.
Known to most as just “Ethan,” Manuel came to campus from Stanford, Kentucky as a freshman intending to study business for information technology as his major.
When reminiscing on his freshman year classes, Manuel says, “UC didn’t have an IT program when I came in as a freshman. That (business information systems) was the closest thing they had to IT when I got here. My second year here they introduced the IT program and, luckily, I had taken only the coding classes so then I swapped to IT.”
On May 4, Manuel will walk across the stage to receive a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and Communication Arts.
Manuel attributed Professor John Varley’s introduction to video production class, alongside doing work-study for the DMS, as being what got him to pick up the second major.
When talking about why he chose the two majors Manuel said, “I’m really, really good at IT. That’s my niche. I can figure out tech stuff really easily. But, I would like media stuff more. It’s a lot more fun to me.”
Manuel’s favorite video project so far was his short film titled “The Riverlands.” He started planning out this short film his junior year of college as a part of his senior colloquium. His idea was initially met with trepidation from advisors because many had attempted something similar for their colloquiums but failed. Manuel remembers shooting his entire short film in a week and a half
so all the scenes would be filmed before he enrolled in the senior colloquium class.
The short film idea came from an idea Manuel and his friends had when they were children. The film is about two friends who go out hunting only to realize that they are not the hunters.
With the guaranteed free time that comes after graduating from college, Manuel plans to invest more time into his YouTube channel “Start Your Quest”, streaming, and more video projects.
One of the most valuable things Manuel is going to take from UC is the knowledge that he gained from the communication arts department’s professors Mr. Jay Bourne and Dr. Michael Dickman.
When discussing what he has learned from Bourne’s and Dickman’s classes, Manuel said, “Understanding how people interact can help you understand what’s appropriate and how to read people. You can read people in a professional setting, which helps you adapt to the situation.
You can know how much respect to show someone, which will get you far in this world.”
Ethan Manuel has enjoyed his time at UC and can only credit his friends and media opportunities for that. When he leaves this campus, his work will continue to leave a legacy in the DMS.
With a final reflection on his time on campus, Manuel says, “Take communication classes, especially as a freshman, because it will shape your outlook on life. I think a lot of situations would’ve played out better if I had known some different stuff through communication. It really has helped me out and given me a chance to try new things.”
Photos by Mike Krzyston
Getting with the program
A profile of senior Adam Thress
Walking down the stairs of his apartment off Cemetery Road, more eager to get this interview over than to graduate, UC senior Adam Thress soon sits down in his chair with a Coke and popcorn and reclines it back. “I graduate in three weeks so I’m trying to make the best of it,” he says while taking a sip of his drink and enjoying the freedom he has left of a college student before entering the real world.
Thress has been a four-year member of the University of the Cumberlands bowling team and has recently come into the role of team captain his senior year leading a group of young freshmen. It was very hard for Thress to make the decision to come to Cumberlands. He says, “I really didn’t plan on bowling in college, so I had to decide if it was worth leaving and coming here or going to a bigger school back home.” This is a big decision for any incoming college student to make. Good thing he did because he has done great things for the men’s bowling program since he has been here.
“Adam has been such a good leader for the varsity team this year since he is one of the only seniors on the team. We are so young, and he really stepped up to show us what to expect and what was expected of us,” says Cumberlands freshman bowler Bryce Frantz.
Life hasn’t always been this simple and easy for the senior. Starting with his freshman year, Thress faced a few hardships when he came to college. “While my goal was to get my accounting degree, my freshman year was a huge eye opener. I struggled a lot and still treated most of my classes like I
was still in high school.” Many freshmen deal with this and they underestimate college. As he is still sitting back in his chair, Thress says, “I ended up owing the school so much money before I could come back for my sophomore year and I ended up not wanting to major in accounting, so I didn’t think there was any point to come back.”
Coming to the realization of what he finally wanted to do, Thress says, “I struggled to come up with a decision on what I wanted to do, but I ended up working all sorts of jobs to get money to come back to school to get my sports management degree along with business administration. I also was struggling in my faith and found where I needed to be.”
Close friend Sean Diezman can only seem to give good remarks about Adam Thress. Diezman said, “He is one of my best friends and seeing him grow from the things he went through early on to now makes me proud of him and I hope to see him do big things in the future.”
Adams’ final remark sums up many college students and conflicts they go through, “I made some bad judgement calls early on in my college career that could’ve ended my chance of being where I am today and about to graduate. I had to pay the consequences and it was a huge set back.”
Photo by River Phillippe
Appreciating every minute
A profile of senior Nichole Nantz
BY EMILEE AGEE Staff Writer
Nichole Nantz is a communication major with a journalism track, as well as an art major. From the moment she got her first camera, she’s tried to see the beauty in everyday life, from nature, to the human body and everything in between, as well as the relationships between these things. She wants to show a new perspective to the mundane and translate her vision through her creativity. As Nichole plans to graduate, she reflects on life lessons and memories from her time at UC. From wanting to give up, and going through the hardest things she’s ever had to face, to finding a better version of herself.
EA: How did you discover that this major was right for you?
NN: I’ve always liked writing and making up stories since I was a kid and trying to create the silliest things I could come up with. And so I would read a lot too and that expanded my imagination and helped me to be able to come up with the crazy things I thought of as a kid, and after I got a camera for my 14th birthday I went from there, learning how to capture these kinds of narratives in just a photo, and the photojournalist in me came out. That carried over into me going into fine arts and expanding from there. Photos are a way for me to more clearly translate the vision I have that sculpting and drawing can’t.
EA: What are some of the best moments that stand out throughout your college experience?
NN: Being a part of the DMS and being able to find a family there, as well as volunteering at The Patriot and doing odd jobs for the paper and writing a story here and there. I think it really reflects me as a person because I prefer to do a lot of different jobs rather than one thing. Personally though, my best memories are with my best friends, Olla, Shelby and Caleb, who are all graduating from the art department, and meeting Austin in 2016 in Drawing 2. Meeting him was really great because it pushed me to
try other types of art and made me want to try harder as a hands-on artist. I did better with having his support. The art department is small, so we’re really tight-knit. Creating that bond was great. One of the best memories we have is going to the art exhibitions and museums. There was one we went to where there was a floor dedicated to children where everything was handson, things you could play on, with the floor being sideways, and chairs on the ceiling. I remember seeing a Van Gogh piece and a Claude Monet piece, and he’s one of my favorite painters who was in the exhibit. Late nights in the art department for sure were some of the best nights, being up until 2 o’clock in the morning working on things.
EA: What’s a lesson you’ve learned about yourself throughout the years?
NN: Doing the exhibition I recently did, the photographs that I did, creating that bond with my work. I learned to never sell myself short. I think I excelled in the pieces I have on display right now and they say a lot more about me than I intended at first, unconsciously. They say a lot about my model too, but they also reflect things I’ve been through and not selling myself short, giving myself credit I deserve, which is something I really had to learn. I throw myself on the backburner to take care of other people, so I guess being able to stand up and commit to my own art and things like that was really important to me.
EA: What’s something you’d tell your freshman self?
NN: Try more things. Maybe expand your friend group. I would stretch yourself and don’t be afraid. I would throw myself into The Patriot more, and do more with the DMS. I feel like in hindsight, I scattered all my effort for the many things I love, and I wish I would have managed my time better. I’d say do not be afraid and try bigger and better things.
Photo by Olla Drane
A dreamer you know
A profile of senior Marin Sztipanov
BY MARANDA YOUNG AND HALEY BULLOCK Staff Writer s
The decision to go to college is an extremely difficult decision for anyone, but imagine having to go to college somewhere that is unfamiliar and in an entirely different country. That was the decision for Marin Sztipanov, a graduating senior at UC. He is leaving UC with a double major of communication arts and business.
Sztipanov earned the amazing opportunity to complete a college degree back in the fall of 2015 when President Taylor and, soon-to-be President Dr. Larry Cockrum, the previous and current presidents of UC, made an important decision to grant Sztipanov the opportunity to receive his college education at Williamsburg, Kentucky. After President Taylor’s visit to his hometown of Baja, Hungary, Sztipanov was granted a Presidential Scholarship. This scholarship grants Sztipanov a college education without financial cost as long as the student maintains a GPA of 2.0 or higher throughout their academic career.
Sztipanov says, “The opportunity just came from nowhere, like I was not planning on it at all. I applied for a couple universities back home, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. It just came and was a really good opportunity, you know, to go to America and the ‘American Dream.’ [It was a] new county, I was thinking of it like an adventure.”
Sztipanov says, “[I’m] not gonna lie; I like school. Most people whine about how school sucks, [or the] cafeteria sucks. I have worked [and] working sucks. Five days a week, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. [It’s] not like writing papers or taking exams. That’s nothing for me, in fact I would much rather do that instead.”
With this attitude, Sztipanov was able to work hard through school, and
is soon to graduate with his double majors and play JV in tennis.
Sztipanov’s family back in Hungary is something that means a lot to him, even though he considers himself as independent. He has no siblings, making him an only child. He jokes when he says, “I got a dog. My mom bought it as a child replacer, you know, because I left home. She got lonely like ‘Oh the kid isn’t home and isn’t around anymore,’ so she needed something to take care of and stuff, and to spoil.”
The work ethic of Sztipanov is something to be heavily admired. He spends almost all of his free-time working and putting all of his ambitions towards his careers. He saved up almost all of his money for two years to get a car on campus since public transit isn’t really an option in Williamsburg, Kentucky. The international student says, “I didn’t want to depend on my parents and I just started working like crazy. I worked through some summers partially sometimes when I went home. I work pretty much [during] all of my free-time [and] whenever I can. I work crazy hard, and they want to kick me out of the cafe because I work too much.”
As mentioned, even though being an international student can pose some unique struggles, Marin Sztipanov hasn’t let those struggles get in the way of his ambitions. He is a hard-working and family-loving man who is just about to graduate with not one, but two majors. That is a feat that is hard enough to accomplish for anyone, especially someone who had to fly from a different country and adapt to the American culture and dialect.
Photo by Maranda Young
