August 30, 2019 | UHCL Staff
For parents whose “little birds” are flying off to college this fall, residence hall move-in day can be bittersweet. University of Houston-Clear Lake celebrated the grand opening of its first traditional residence hall, Hunter Hall, and freshman David Trippon was among the first new Hawks to begin “nesting” in his new room.
With the help of plenty of excited volunteers, David and his parents Jim and Kim Trippon moved David’s belongings to his room. “I chose UH-Clear Lake because it’s a really nice campus and I thought I would have good support and a really good time here,” David told UHCL President Ira K. Blake. He said he planned to study math and physics, with an eventual career path in actuarial sciences.
“We came here for orientation and the instructors you have in the math department are amazing,” said Jim Trippon. “And it’s not just that they have Ph.Ds and all the technical skills. You can tell they’re caring people. And that is everything.”
Blake said that professors understood that it wasn’t just about classroom work. “It’s about finding those careers and applying them to the real world,” she said.
Jim Trippon said that move-in weekend was an excellent experience. “We were so impressed at the way everyone was involved with it, from the dean of students and the residence hall director, the chief of police and the president. That comes from great leadership. Everyone is so knowledgeable and helpful,” he said. “UHCL has been thought of as a commuter campus until now, but when people realize this residence hall is here and that it’s such a quality experience, there’s no way there won’t be a waiting list a mile long to get in. Students and parents owe it to themselves to tour this beautiful residence hall before they make any housing decision.”
Blake suggested David visit Career Services and find out more about job shadowing or job sharing, which would give him the opportunity to learn more about his chosen career path. “You can get some internships in your junior and senior year, and those will be incredibly important,” she said. “The clearer you are about what you want to be, the more that career development program should parallel your academic program.”
“I’m looking forward to my math and biology classes, most specifically because they’re really interesting and at a much higher level than what I did previously in high school,” David said. “I also love living in the residence hall because I live far away, and this makes me feel like I am really able to join this university. I appreciate the friendly faculty and students as well.”
Find out more about Hunter Hall online.
