A Name Changes Everything
What is a name? A name is a set of words by which a person, place or thing is addressed or referred to. Recently, my eyes have been opened to how important a name can be or how much weight it can hold. All of my life I have never stopped to consider the importance of a given name. It was not until I arrived at Syracuse University when I realized just how important a name can be.
It was here, at the S.I Newhouse School of Public Communications when I discovered how a name could change everything. During my undergraduate days when people would ask me where I attended school, I would respond by saying the University at Buffalo, they would simply look at me and say “Oh, that’s nice.” Now when people ask that question and I tell them that I am a student at Newhouse, their faces light up and immediate respect is given. They practically draw a picture of what type of life I will live in the future.
When it comes to finding a job or internship, the name speaks for you. I recall when I use to apply for internships and jobs with my previous college on my resume I would get nothing but rejection emails. Ever since I put the Newhouse name on my resume I have had more opportunities than I can handle. I even had to turn down a few.
Ben Parker once said that “with great power, comes great responsibility.” Carrying this Newhouse name around with me I have felt the gravity that comes with pursing excellence. In other words, I have had to live up to the name of this University. I have been tested mentally and physically and it has turned out to be a process that is molding me into a person that I do not fully recognize yet. I have worked harder and smarter than I have ever had to before. Living up to this name is requiring more than my undivided attention.
When the name of this school is spoken, people automatically think of success stories. They think of high competition, some of the most intelligent students in the world and a work ethic that is hard to come by. The name alone simply opens doors for people. For anyone that makes it out of this school they should wear it as a badge of honor because this name truly means something. This school has unexpectedly taught me why people, places and things are named a certain way. It has taught me that a name is not just a name. A name is so much more.
