Virginia H.

Hopeful Fall.

I made amazing friends here my freshman year. They are still my people here today and part of the reason being a Gator means so much to me. It took a while, obviously, the lonely freshman fall is an uphill battle for sure. But spring semester rolled around and something clicked. We traveled to St. Augustine together for spring break, saw the sunrise at Paynes Prairie, and spent so much time at Sweetberries they knew our order when all 6 of us walked in. The last week of freshman year, and the Sunday before exam week, we all went to see Infinity War. One of the best movies ever; us girls cried as the boys rolled their eyes and conspired about Endgame. We went back to my house and into the loft to be cautious of my roommates sleeping as we were talking and messing around. The ladder stairs to get in were notoriously steep… and after about an hour everyone descended them to go home at 1:30 AM. The last one to come down, about halfway up and 7 feet in the air I tripped and twisted, knocking my head straight to the floor. My friends at first, to be honest, had to laugh; the tumble was straight out of AFHV. Once they realized I was injured, they immediately called my roommates who took me to the emergency room. Three hours and a concussion later, I walked back into my house to find all five of them spread across my couch. It was 5 AM and two of them were studying for exams they had the next day. All of them had stayed to make sure I was OK. People I had met just one semester before. Honestly, I couldn’t believe it. That’s when I knew that the people at UF were different and I had struck gold. Every university says they have the best, are the best, mold the best, but it’s another thing to experience it and believe it. The Care Team helped me reschedule most of my exams that week and I was grateful for their advocacy in a time where I was unsure how my health and academia would play out. Since the ladder stairs have been replaced, but the dent from my head going into the ground always reminds me of that night and makes me smile (now that I am OK) at one of my favorite, crazy, memories. I would encourage all Gators to dig deep and not waste a single moment during your time here. This place, these people, this time is special and my hope is that someone reading this letter truly believes it too.

Love, Virginia, a UF student


  • The Care Area is an area within the Dean of Students office that was created to care for every single individual that walks through this campus. The Care Area consists of many different resources, facilities. and success plans to allow every person to feel a part of this University of Florida community. The Care Area is run by amazing professionals that work to create a welcoming environment for all students and faculty.

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    Care Area

    The Care Area is an area within the Dean of Students office that was created to care for every single individual that walks through this campus. The Care Area consists of many different resources, facilities. and success plans to allow every person to feel a part of this University of Florida community. The Care Area is run by amazing professionals that work to create a welcoming environment for all students and faculty.

    Connect with Resource