Pinar Gokalp '21 is from Nashua, NH and Corlu, Tekirdag, Turkey. She's an International Business & Economics major with a minor in french. At UNH, Pinar is an RA in Sawyer Hall for Paul Scholars, a FIRE peer advisor, a tutor at the Center for Academic Resources, and the Director of Development for Paul's Marketing and Advertising Club. She also performs in winter color guard.
"UNH was close to home–but just far enough away that I could be completely independent. I didn't really know what I wanted to do in life, so I took some advice from a family friend to enter a business school. And Paul did not disappoint! My absolute favorite thing is our community. I really hit my stride here my junior year, when I began getting involved in FIRE and other organizations across UNH. I've met some amazing people, taken some awesome classes, and through my experiences I've kind of found myself. My path. I've grown so much in the last few years.
I love messing with the faculty–becoming close to some of them has certainly made Paul feel more like home. I would say we're one of the more diversely staffed colleges on campus. There are a lot of staff and faculty from Turkey here (maybe like 10-12?) so that definitely makes me happy to be able to find my homies. I can walk into their offices and speak my native language.
UNH looks VERY different this year, and as much as it might suck (let's be honest) it's also opening doors to so many new opportunities. This is the year to get involved! Being virtual gives so many student orgs access to more knowledge and guests than ever before. I also think it's less scary to connect with large groups through Zoom. People seem to be sympathetic to the circumstances we're all in, so there's more forgiveness for stumbles and nerves. And the whole situation really makes you appreciate the people in your life."
Prioritize your needs before everything else. Be patient, mindful, courageous, brave, fearless, humble, empathetic, supportive, and kind!"
Watch a week in Pinar's life at Paul College: