Sikiel Z. Graves

“I chose Carthage because of the community. The Physics Department is fantastic, and the professors help make things work around my football schedule.”

“Many professors have helped me grow as both a scholar and a person simply due to how easy it is to connect and grow close with each of them. This has allowed me to gain more interests and take a larger variety of classes and open my mind up to other disciplines and paths. Being close with a professor in the Film and New Media Department allowed me to find opportunity within film and filmmaking, despite it being outside of my major.”

“Working with Professor Kevin Crosby and the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium has shown me more opportunities than I thought possible for an undergraduate student and has definitely made the largest impact in my life, from internships to friendships.”

“My favorite class was Advanced Film and New Media because it was something I didn’t know about before enrolling. Film was an interest I wasn’t aware of until I was well into college. Through that class, I learned a lot about the industry and how to use the equipment and tools to make a professional film. I got to work alongside a great professor and have a lot of fun learning and practicing something so far outside my comfort zone.”

“Modern Physics was a tough course because it was a bit of a time commitment. It was a fun course, but it definitely had to be on my mind most of the week to keep up with the workload. It required a lot of attention, and falling behind was not something you wanted to do. Thankfully, the professor was extremely understanding and always had an open door for questions and help when you needed it.”

“I am the vice president of the Carthage Film Association and that has been a fun challenge since I’ve joined the club. We make films, do photography, host events, and help students find more opportunities for writing, directing, acting, and any other job related to film. It is a huge time commitment, but it is something I love and wouldn’t trade for the world.”

“My goal is to be a systems engineer. I love how things work and the communication aspect of science. It’s amazing that so much of science is meant to be done with other people. I would love to be someone who gets to be a part of that team and is heavily involved with the problem-solving aspect of projects.”

“My favorite spot on campus is definitely the rocket lab. It’s a great place to relax near classes, and it’s always fun just doing homework right next to the rockets made by the students.”

“Seeing the national championship for the men’s volleyball team my freshman year was something I will never forget. The crowd was loud the entire time, the gym was packed, and the team played great. It was especially great because the team started off by getting rings for the previous season, which only made them more excited. As an athlete and a student, it was just a great experience to have.”

“Always take notes during class and review them before the test. Homework will get you most of the way, but for memorization, use flash cards and always review the in-class assignments because those are usually pretty similar to what is on the tests.”

“The easiest way to make friends is to join clubs and teams. People are really welcoming and inviting, so when you join a club, you can easily get to know the people there and sometimes even who they know.”

“The biggest surprise has been how welcoming the upperclassmen are. From the football team to the clubs I’ve been in, it has always been easy to meet people and make friends due to how supportive and welcoming the upperclassmen are. It feels like they care about the place they’re in and want the people there to care for it, too.”