UConn Today – This past spring, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Chairman Rodney Butler ’99 (BUS) addressed a large audience of students, faculty, and staff at the Student Union Theatre. One member of the audience paying especially close attention was Samantha Gove ’24 (CLAS), a member of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation who worked extensively with UConn’s Native American Cultural Programs during her time in Storrs. Shortly after Butler’s visit, he and Gove connected over video call for a conversation about Butler’s time at UConn, what he’s learned in two decades of leadership in the Nation, and what he wants Native students to keep in mind. The interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Month: May 2024
‘Change Happens When One Person Makes a Bold Move’
UConn Today – Alumna Medina Jett ’08 EMBA delivered a commencement speech to the Class of 2024 that emphasized something she knows well: the importance of being brave and thoughtful in the face of change, whether celebrated or not.
“I stand before you not only as a fellow Husky, but as someone who understands the challenges and triumphs that come with the journey of life,’’ Jett told some 700 enthusiastic undergraduates, their families, and friends on Saturday afternoon in Gampel Pavilion.
Erica Dean ’24, School of Business
UConn Today – Erica wants everyone to find the joy in every experience—even if that experience is a little bit scary. If you can learn something new at the same time, that’s icing on the cake. The School of Business graduate student and Double Husky took classes in Italian and floral arrangement, joined a sports team and a sports ministry and numerous other clubs, and says there are broadening opportunities at UConn for every person and interest. Erica plans to bring her skills in business analytics home to the family business after graduation. And she’s taking her own advice and continuing to plan new experiences, like a hike across Spain for the fall. And her whole family will continue to visit the Dairy Bar, because broadening your horizons doesn’t mean you forget the pleasures of your own backyard.
Danielle Harrington ’24, School of Business
UConn Today – Basketball fandom drew Danielle Harrington to UConn, and the strength of the School of Business kept her here. Harrington’s interest in math and finance, as well as a desire to make a positive impact on organizations, led her to major in Business. Guiding younger students as a Resident Assistant and a Husky Ambassador, and making friends across campus through activities and volunteering, helped her grow her interpersonal skills. She attributes a boost in her strategic thinking to her advanced business courses. But devising ways to score front row tickets to basketball games can’t have hurt, either!