Paul Knott ’14 enrolled at the University of Rhode Island as a worried and confused freshman, uncertain that going to school so close to his hometown was the right choice. Four years later, as the student speaker at this month’s commencement ceremony and this year’s homecoming king, he’s more than happy with his decision. “Over the past four years I have been able to find my niche and have gained more from URI than I could have ever imagined. URI really taught me who I am and how to be the best version of myself that I can be.”

Paul embodies the spirit of thinking bigger than oneself, continuously promoting active citizenship with contagious enthusiasm and optimism. In fact, he’s become something of a spokesman for the URI experience, as a campus tour guide, an orientation leader and a team leader for the Office of New Student Programs. If that’s not enough, he was also involved with the Student Entertainment Committee, Student Senate, and the Business Student Advisory Council, and he spoke on behalf of the student body at the dedication of the Anna Fascitelli Fitness and Wellness Center.

“I never could have imagined that I would gain so much knowledge, perspective, and passion by learning from my student involvement experiences,” he said.

Paul plans a career in higher education, so he won’t be far from the campus environment that taught him so much. “URI has given me a great perspective on everything that I love about marketing, being a part of a community, and leadership. It also gave me passion – to work with people, talk to people, and make connections. Most importantly, URI has taught me that you will learn a lot from faculty, but you will learn even more than you could have ever imagined from your peers.”