Jaree Naqvi on His Journey at Miami Hamilton

Enrolling at Miami University Hamilton was admittedly a last-minute decision for Jaree Naqvi, made three days before classes started.

"I was torn between here and the University of Cincinnati," said the Lakota West High School graduate. "My brother actually went to this campus, so he convinced me because it is a lot closer, a little bit cheaper and a lot more convenient overall."

He had actually gone so far as attending the U.C. freshman orientation.

"But then I came here and it felt more homey, a lot more comfortable," he said.

The late decision had its challenges. The classes he wanted to get into were closed, for instance, but he never regretted the sudden shift.

"I know I would have been miserable at U.C. because I would have been commuting the whole time," he said. "But career and goal wise, I had the same goal and I think I would have stayed on the same path, so I don't think there would be much of a difference."

Jaree is studying biology with an eye toward medical school.

"I came in and I really liked the atmosphere," he said. "There were over 800 students in my high school graduating class--and a lot of people I didn't know."

He spent half of his high school career at Butler Tech to get nursing certification, so he wasn't immersed in the big-school culture that much, and found a similar coziness at Miami Hamilton.

"I like the small class size so much more because you get to know each person individually," he said. "When I came here I realized that is really what I value, and that's really the type of environment I would thrive in. The professors really get to know your name and the name of all the students. It's a personalized education and that's something I really value."

Jaree got involved in student government and served a term as president, so that helped him get to know people.

"I got involved in student government my very first week of school," he said, "and that's really opened my eyes. There are people here who have traveled, held full-time jobs, have had life experiences, so I can hear about all the things I haven't done yet. There's a person in one of my classes who's already gotten his degree but is coming back for his personal education. It's really changed my perspective on life, helps me understand what I value, what I want to do, what I want to get out of my life.

"I'm also part of Project Civility, so we're always on outreach, always in Schwarm Commons holding events and interacting with students," he said. "There's never been a lack of social interaction. I really like that. That's not something I would have gotten on U.C. campus."

#WhyIchoseMURegionals