Meet the Students of CGS: Mari Fletcher
Mari Fletcher
College of General Studies 2016
College of Communication 2018
Major in advertising with a focus in psychology
Minor in business administration
At BU College of General Studies, Mari Fletcher volunteered as a peer mentor in the CGS Writing Center, served as a CGS Dean’s Host, and volunteered with Club GiiVE. She has served on the CGS Dean’s Host Executive Board, worked as a student advisor for BU Orientation, and currently serves as the CGS Dean’s Host Coordinator. She was selected as a representative for CGS and for BU College of Communication on the BU Associate Provost Undergraduate Student Advisory Board and is PR Manager for Love Your Melon, a volunteer organization on campus. She interned with the Discovery Channel when she studied abroad through BU’s Sydney Internship Program.
What is your most memorable CGS experience?
My freshmen year towards the end of the semester, I got a concussion and my professors took an interest in me as a person versus only looking at me as a student. They did their best to communicate with one another– to say Mari’s having this issue in her life right now and she needs help. Your first semester, you are already terrified and having professors who care about you and your health was something that really surprised me.
Again when I was in London, I was walking to go to a museum for one of our assignments, and I of course didn’t have GPS and was lost. Luckily, I ran into one of my professors and we started walking together and had a conversation that was so human. We talked about me, how I wanted my curriculum to be developed, what things I liked or maybe didn’t like in the course, how I wanted to grow, versus just the superficial, “Hey how are you.” That one conversation ignited my interest in becoming a Dean’s Host and in getting involved in orientation and then becoming Dean’s Host coordinator. It has all led up to this point, where now I feel like my education has been inspired by professors who took an interest in me and recognized that I had the skill and mindset to be successful in those activities and positions.
What is your favorite College of General Studies class and why? Any favorite professors?
My favorite class was Professor John Regan’s rhetoric class. I was someone who hated writing–still kind of do, but he made writing fun and engaging and helped me develop my writing in such a short period of time exponentially. He makes it so you want to come to class and learn. I also loved how one class connected with the next— so even though I hated learning about history, since it was connected to every other class I was taking, it made it into a story versus just reading facts.
What has it been like for you going to school in the city?
I love that you are so close to everything and that there are so many colleges around you. It is hard sometimes to get out of the BU bubble just because there is so much happening on campus, but it’s been fun to be able to walk five minutes in either direction and be in the city or in Brookline or in Allston.
If you could give one tip to incoming freshmen, what would it be?
Every single freshmen I talk to, I tell them this since it’s so so so important: get involved with one thing. I know people always say, “join fifteen clubs”– but don’t do that, don’t join fifteen clubs. But do take your freshmen and sophomore year to dabble in different things to see what you like and what you don’t like.
What is one thing you miss about CGS?
I think I miss the community aspect of it. There’s a lot of value in small class sizes, being able to talk one on one with your professors, work on teams, and develop friendships that transcend the CGS experience. In other colleges, you get locked into what you are doing and what’s best for you. You almost miss out on the opportunity to be creative and collaborative, learn study skills and develop the ability to become a good teammate– all of which are so important going into our jobs and careers in the future.
How did Capstone provide value to your education?
For my Capstone project, we worked on addressing sexual assault. We discussed how it is currently addressed within the United States and on college campuses. Then we specifically talked about BU– things that BU could be doing and services they could be promoting better to reduce the number of incidents on campus. I thought that it was a good ending, a culmination of everything we’ve learned– being able to bring in the writing aspect, and then also the history aspect, and the research of how it’s been addressed in the past. It brought together all those courses and information and skills that we have learned the past two years. We could show other people and say, “This is our two years and this is what we created, and this is how we can make the world better.”
Have relationships with professors lasted past CGS?
Definitely! I still keep in contact with my professors, my advisors, and mentors. If you take the time to take initiative and go to your professors’ office hours or their coffee hours, it really does make a difference. I think one of the defining moments was with one of the CGS professors, Professor Shawn Lynch. I had Professor Lynch in London, and I told him before we went that I’m someone who hates speaking up in class. I don’t like raising my hand, I don’t like talking, and if I’m a little more reserved and not taking initiative in that sense, it’s not because I’m not interested. He was like, Well you’ve just got to get over that. He encouraged me to stand up for myself, be willing to make connections with people, and speak up in class. Last spring, I’m doing an Open House parent panel with Professor Lynch. I am the only student sitting with five or six faculty, and Professor Lynch is talking about his students and how he tries to make sure everyone is actively engaged and participating. A couple minutes before the panel is over He has to get up and leave and he comes over to me and he whispers in my ear, “I’m so proud of you because I remember you freshmen year.” That moment was one of those memorable moments of my college career. It was so memorable because a professor noticed how I’ve changed and grown, and has pointed out to me that, “Yes you can do this, and that yes you have the skills to be successful in the future.”
Any closing thoughts?
As a senior, graduating in two months and still trying to figure out my life, the one thing I can say is focus on yourself and what you are good at and what you aren’t the best at, what you like and don’t like to do–because in the end you are the one that is going to be affected by your decisions. Take this time, especially the time when you are in CGS, to explore new paths and try something new. Who knows… you might find something that ignites your passion!