VCU news

By Elinor Frisa

It was a different time. On a warm August day in 2019, some students hustled while others meandered through the Compass on Virginia Commonwealth University’s campus. The school’s marketing team had set up a white backdrop, and passers-by were encouraged to stop and have their picture taken to capture the energy and vibe that first week of classes.

Mia Milligan, Ana Sofia Uro de Leon, Makai Walker, Piper Bucholz and Cleo Lewis were just a few of the students who stepped in front of the camera. Today, they are about to graduate, and VCU News persuaded them to pose in front of the white backdrop once more and pause to reflect on their time at VCU.

Mia Milligan

Psychology major

How have you changed since the first week of classes in August 2019?

I think I’m a lot more adapted to Richmond. I think that was like an orientation kind of a thing. And at the time I didn’t know anybody. I’d never been in such a big city. I’m from Newport News, so it’s still a city, but this one’s just very, very populated and very, like, walkable. So that was something really new. … I’m a lot less shy than I was back then. I’ve made a lot more friends here, so it’s more comfortable to be out here now.

If you could go back and give your freshman self one piece of advice, what would you say?

I would say go out more, talk to more people, be less shy, take more chances. I was here for like half a [school year] before Covid hit. But in those, you know, few weeks, I would’ve liked to get to know more people. Because the one girl I did meet my freshman year, she’s my best friend now, so I could have had a lot of other great friends. Granted now that you know, I’m [a resident assistant, and] in all of these different roles now, I do have a lot of friends, which I’m so grateful for. But I think it would’ve made sophomore and junior year a lot more fun if I knew people from my freshman year that I’d met.

Do you remember what you wanted to do with your life back in 2019? And what do you want to do now?

Oh my, I came in as a bio major. As do a lot of people. I wanted to do pharmacy, so I came in like pre-pharmacy and I was taking all the bio and the chem and I think I volunteered or did an internship at a pharmacy over the summer at a free clinic. And I hated it. I was like, oh my goodness, I cannot do this for the rest of my life. So I changed my major to psych because I thought I was like the helper friend and I really enjoyed learning about people and how they work and how to fix their problems. So, yeah, I changed my major to psych, and after I graduate, I’m going to do a master’s in social work program.

What do you think makes VCU an uncommon university?

I think the diversity here is amazing. No matter who you are, where you come from, you’re gonna find your group of people, whether it’s within your major, whether you’re finding a club that [embraces] your ethnic background. I think that is one of the things I loved most about going to VCU. I always felt welcome.

Ana Sofia Uro de Leon

Criminal justice and homeland security and emergency preparedness double major

How have you changed since the first week of classes in August 2019?

How haven’t I changed? I feel like that’s the real question. Like, at my core, I’m still the youngest version of me possible, like that really happy and joyful and kind of blissful energy, but I’m more protective of it now and I’ve grown to understand not everybody and everything needs my energy all the time. And I’ve let go of pleasing others before truly listening to my gut and my intuition and my heart and soul about, like, any and all decisions, no matter how big or small. Because it will still have some type of domino effect in the long run in this thing called life. Like understanding that everything happens for a reason — good, bad and ugly. And just having more peace with not trying to control everything, but understanding that I can control myself and my reactions and where I bring my love and light.

Do you have a favorite professor at VCU?

I feel bad when I say “professor” because so many professors have been almost like semi-professional dads in a school setting for me while my family’s away, you know? And I’ve also had just, like, such professional and strong women, you know, kind of keeping me on the path to continue to push forward. So I’m grateful to all of them, and I feel like they really should know who they are. But I guess if I had to pick one it would be … well, no, I don’t want to pick one. … There’s just so many wonderful professors that really just went that extra mile. They didn’t solely care about my grades. They saw me as a human, as a person, as an emotional being and were there for me in vulnerable ways that they didn’t really need to be, but they were. And I appreciated the safe space and the encouragement they all gave me to just continue on and to not give up on my commitment to finishing school. I feel like I don’t care how people downplay finishing college; I’m just really proud of myself that I did it. Especially being one of the first classes to experience a pandemic.

If you could go back and give your freshman self one piece of advice, what would you say?

Honestly, if I could, I don’t know that I would, though, because I’m a kid that needs to put her hand on the stove and get burned a couple times sometimes before I truly learn for my own good, like what I really need to do and how I truly need to move regardless of how other people may perceive it. Because those that are truly meant for me and the spaces that are truly meant for me to thrive in will simply find me and will simply work, so long as I’m putting my best foot forth, my best energy into it and holding my head up high, but also never being too prideful because that will just screw me at the end.

What do you think makes VCU an uncommon university?

The first thing that comes to mind is people. I think we have just the funkiest group of people out there [that] come to the city to pursue an education here. And it’s kind of like seeing a bunch of people just uncover their layers. Like a bunch of little onions come to Richmond and they just start discovering more and more about what they really like, what they don’t like, what they pretended to like, what they actually hated, what they love now. Just embracing every little niche about themselves, shamelessly. And I think that city environment as well is so different from a suburban area, which is kind of all I’ve known growing up and why I chose VCU. Because I wanted to challenge myself and put myself in a different environment. …

I’m from Arlington County, Virginia – NOVA – but I also grew up in Italy and Portugal because my father was in the Navy for 20 years. So [there was] culture shock … being called “alien” and “foreigner” and “weirdo” [when we] moved back to the States. … When I was abroad, it was a cool thing that I was a Mexican American little girl living in Italy and Portugal, and people thought that was wonderful. … Versus over here, it was like, well that’s not cool or that’s weird or that’s not common. So I love VCU for making me proud to be uncommon because I’ve met a bunch of other uncommon people out here.

Makai Walker

Theatre major

How have you changed since the first week of classes in August 2019?

I think overall I found who I was a little bit more. I was able to become the kind of artist that I initially imagined at the outset of my college career. And when you showed me that photo, it was just like looking at a complete stranger. Because I mean, even down to, like, my hair, it’s been a lot of growth and a lot of healing and just self-discovery.

What do you feel is the most important thing you’ve gotten out of your VCU experience?

The education. I was like a complete acting novice when I came in, and I think the program did a really good job of setting me up with a solid foundation on my acting skills. And I think also, too, just a network of friends. I have been up, down and through Richmond because of VCU, and I’ve gotten the opportunity to work in places I never would’ve thought I would find myself.

If you could go back and give your freshman self one piece of advice, what would you say?

Be kind to others. I think in looking back on it all, I got so focused on maybe diving straight to the work and diving straight to the professionalism of it all that I didn’t soak in the people as much as I should have or I think I had wanted to. As I got toward my junior and senior years, I was so focused on career development that I didn’t soak in the friendships and the connections I was making in the moment.

What do you think makes VCU an uncommon university?

I just think VCU really is an artist’s school. Like, there are so many different kinds of artists here, different ways to create, different mediums for creation. And I feel like there has always been, whether it was through an email listserv or just, you know, boards in the library, there’s always been opportunity for the artist here. And I really think that that’s what’s unique about VCU is this love for its creatives.

Piper Bucholz

Marketing major

How have you changed since the first week of classes in August 2019?

I think I’ve changed a lot. Probably the biggest way that I’ve changed is my outlook on the world. It’s a lot more optimistic. … Coming to a school like this really opened my eyes to a lot of ways that you can live life, and a lot of kinds of people that you can be. And since my time here and that day, I’ve really gotten to know how I want myself to grow, if that makes sense.

If you could go back and give your freshman self one piece of advice, what would you say?

Well, when I was a freshman it was 2019, and it was the last normal year and then after spring break, we just never came back pretty much. And when we did finally come back, the university was completely changed. Like, everyone’s personalities were changed. So much change all at once on such a large scale kind of told me, I wouldn’t plan for my future ever again. And I don’t think I ever will. I would instead try to give myself as many skills to handle whatever came my way and focus more on being able to adapt rather than like the nitty-gritty plan.

Do you remember what you wanted to do with your life back in 2019? And what do you want to do now?

I really thought I wanted to be a mega corporate girly, and I wanted to be a CEO and rank myself amongst all the best and all that stuff. But I think now I don’t want to do that. I’ve realized that life is so much more than bragging to other people about your successes, because success looks so different for every person and I’ve really just gotten way more accepting of [the idea that] simple happiness is really the goal of life – not what other people think of you and where you are.

What do you think makes VCU an uncommon university?

I think the school really encourages you to try on every hat of your personality and choose any style, take all of the classes, join random clubs, try on every single facet of your identity now because you’re in a bubble of acceptance and, like, diversity of all kinds. So you can kind of pick and choose who you want by the day, which is something that you really can’t get at any other school.

Cleo Lewis

Sculpture major

How have you changed since the first week of classes in August 2019?

A lot’s changed. I think I’ve matured a lot. I’ve learned a lot. I’m over a year sober because of the Rams in Recovery program. I have a dog, and I have a lot of meaningful friendships. And VCU has kind of given me the opportunity to be able to travel and start a career, so that’s cool.

What do you feel is the most important thing you’ve gotten out of your VCU experience?

I think I know what I want to do now. I’ve been able to travel to a few states for work already, which has been exciting. I really know what I want to do. When I came in I wanted to [do] sculpture, but as I, you know, kept taking classes, I realized I really liked furniture design. And so I’ve kind of found what direction I want to push my life to.

If you could go back and give your freshman self one piece of advice, what would you say?

To slow down and, you know, take my time and kind of take every opportunity I’m given.

What do you think makes VCU an uncommon university?

I think the student body, especially the people I’ve encountered, are really unique and there are all sorts of races, backgrounds, ideologies from all over the world. And so I think I’ve gotten to form a lot of meaningful friendships with people I’ve never encountered before. It’s changed my view of the world and how I approach relationships.