A journalism and political science major from Canton, Mass., Ronan Himelrick ’24 received the 2024 URI President’s Award for Academic Excellence. He was managing editor, and previously entertainment editor, for The Good Five Cent Cigar. He would like to work in entertainment journalism, with a focus on music. “Music,” he says, “has the ability to bridge cultural and social gaps and bring people together.”
This year’s graduating class, the Class of 2024, started college in the midst of the pandemic. It was a time of uncertainty and isolation. Cigar staffer Ronan Himelrick ’24 reflects on the experience and on what helped him find success and a sense of belonging.
By Ronan Himelrick ’24
Closing my laptop after yet another class on Zoom, a multitude of thoughts ran through my mind. Is this what I want? Is URI right for me? Is college even the right idea?
It was the fall semester of 2020, an interesting time to be a first-year college student. After COVID disrupted my senior year of high school starting in March—a two-week hiatus that became a prolonged pause on normal life, I just wanted to experience college.
I felt—like many of my peers—lost. We started college in the midst of one of the most disruptive medical, financial, and social periods in recent memory. It was my first time away from home and my first time living with a complete stranger. I was an 18-year-old kid with no clue what I wanted to do with my life.
“I should join a club,” I thought to myself. “What would be a good fit?”
I joined URI’s student-run newspaper, The Good Five Cent Cigar. My first year was filled with uncertainty, loneliness, and confusion, and I lacked a sense of belonging, but The Cigar gave me a home and a purpose.
The Cigar set me on a path of pursuing journalism. Throughout my time in Kingston, I’ve had opportunities to meet so many incredible people. Interacting with fellow students and interviewing faculty and staff sparked a sense of curiosity and a true passion for connecting with the world around me.
Across campus, lampposts are adorned with banners bearing the University’s motto, “Think Big. We Do.” I can say without a doubt that those words ring true in my mind every day. This school of just under 18,000 students simultaneously hosts high-level global research and learning opportunities, but still feels like a closeknit community. That was something that my peers and I sought after months of isolation. I don’t know if I can speak for everyone, but I certainly found it. URI has provided me with friends, mentors, and leaders to look up to for the rest of my life.
I also got involved as a tour guide for the Office of Admission. In that role, I had the privilege to connect with prospective students from all over the world, and their families, sharing my story along the way. This connection with complete strangers—all while walking backward for 2.3 miles per tour—is another part of my time at URI that impacted my life the most. I have loved being able to present myself and my love for this place, and I am sad to leave Kingston.
As I write this, it occurs to me that I don’t think I would recognize the 18-year-old who arrived at URI unaware of the amazing things that were in his future. I am so happy that I chose to stick it out and not let my first year define me. I chose to grow. I chose to take risks and to be uncomfortable in new situations. I think about where I would be if it wasn’t for taking those risks and seeking discomfort, and I don’t think I would be here. I’m about a month away from graduating and 16 years of education will end for me. After graduation, I will be traveling to Italy to explore a new part of the world and create lasting memories. Beyond that, I don’t know what the future holds, but I know that I will continue to “Think Big,” take risks, and embrace opportunities whenever they arise.
PHOTO: NORA LEWIS