Wanna make the most of your college experience, but don’t know where to start? In our ‘What I Wish I Would Have Known’ series, your fellow Broncos impart helpful advice and stories sure to inspire you to connect with your community and access the support you need to maximize your time here and truly thrive. In this episode, we had a Q+A with Calvin Dore, a graduating senior from Gardnerville, Nevada with a kinesiology degree.
Calvin Tells His Story
What are some extracurriculars you have been involved with during your time here at Boise State? Any highlights or memories you’ll carry with you?
“In addition to working for the College of Health Sciences, I was a member of multiple clubs on campus, and these each gave me the opportunities to succeed in many different aspects of my life in terms of communication and also opportunities to get more involved in my major.
When I first came to campus, I was really nervous about public speaking, and I learned to put myself in challenging situations. One of those was speaking for the Institute of Advancing American Values. They had a Boise State Listens event, and I volunteered to be a speaker at that, even though it really scared me. It was something I knew that I wanted to improve upon. So I became a speaker at that. And then I also got invited to speak to the state Board of Education, as a result.”
What was one challenge you faced during your college experience that you initially struggled with and what did you learn from it?
“Boise State felt a little like a ghost town when I first got here, because it was in the middle of Covid, and I came in, in the spring of 2021. So it was in the middle of the academic school year, and I just felt pretty isolated.
My sophomore year, I was looking for a job on campus, and I found a job in the dean’s office for the College of Health Sciences. I became close with members of the dean’s office, the dean, the associate deans and everyone involved. They’ve been fantastic supporters of me and they’ve been really encouraging in my academics. They’ve written me letters of recommendation and gotten me involved in other clubs like, sent recommendations to the Student Philanthropy Board, which helped get me involved.
And eventually I was involved in a lot of different things on campus, and I really felt like, okay, this is my spot. Like, I feel very comfortable now. And that just took a little bit of initiative to, like, get involved with each program that I was interested in.”
Reflecting on that lesson, how do you believe it has better equipped you for life after graduation?
“Something that was really important for me when I came here was to say yes to every opportunity that I had. My time at Boise State’s shown me that when you get involved and interact with people, that is what can maximize your experience. Boise State has helped me increase my network of influential people that have supported me along the way, and I think this will be beneficial moving forward.”
So if you could go back and give your freshman self one piece of advice based on this experience, what would it be?
“If I were to give my freshman self a piece of advice, I’d say find all the resources on campus. There were a lot of them that I didn’t find until later in my career, like Health Services and mental health counseling was really important for me.
I was introduced to the mental health services on campus because I work in the Norco building, and I pass by it every day. So I was interested in how counseling could help me work through my personal problems, as well as kind of find myself and where I am at before I graduate.”
Boise State Health Services is dedicated to providing convenient, accessible and high-quality health care to the campus community. Health Services provides a full range of primary care, urgent care, wellness services and counseling services for students, faculty, staff and their dependents on campus. Conveniently located on campus, board-certified medical professionals, licensed counseling staff and wellness experts are available to help address your health care needs.
Learn more about University Health Services
Be Brave – Say ‘Yes’ to Support and New Opportunities
Calvin discovered that when the going gets tough, there’s always a helping hand nearby. By getting involved in extracurriculars and seeking support from campus resources, Calvin transformed his college experience and equipped himself for the future. His advice—to say yes to opportunities and explore all the resources available—is a valuable lesson for any student.