Kyra Papillo Interview

The speaker discusses their transfer from the University of South Florida to Boston University's Questrom School of Business. They faced challenges transferring but overcame them to graduate on time. Their parents initially disapproved due to financial concerns and ideological differences. Despite these obstacles, the speaker is determined to succeed and grow personally and academically at BU. They value the diverse experiences and opportunities available in Boston, feeling fulfilled in their decision to transfer. Okay, so I'm going to ask you some questions about your transfer. So, firstly, where are you from? I'm from Spring Hill, Florida. What school did you transfer from? I originally went to UFS, which is University of South Florida in Tampa. What's your major here at BU? Currently, I'm a question major with a global concentration, global studies concentration. How was your transition into Questrom? It was, like, a little difficult, to say the least. I feel like Questrom is probably one of the hardest colleges to transfer into, just because I wasn't able to transfer directly into Questrom. Right. So I had to transfer into Comm first, and then from there try to transfer into Questrom. Yeah, and also I know that Questrom only takes students in the fall, correct? Yeah, so I had to wait a semester because I transferred in the spring. So I had to wait a semester and get, like, a bunch of credits just to establish myself. And then now I'm, like, fully trying to integrate myself into Questrom. Yeah. Has that jeopardized your graduation year in any way? No, like, for a while I did think I was going to have to graduate, like, a semester too late. And so I was really worried about that. But after talking to my academic advisors, I was able to overload a lot of my classes. And so now I'll be graduating on time. Okay, that's good. So when you told your parents about transferring, were they on board? Were they not? Why? Why or not? They were shocked, disappointed. They felt like I was kind of leaving them and my two younger siblings. And they kind of had the mindset that once I left, I would never return. My parents were also worried that I wasn't going to stand as much. Like, I feel like here at BU I'm surrounded by a lot of, like, students who are passionate about their studies. So they felt as though I would be sort of diluted. I know I certainly felt that way as well. And, like, they knew a good school academically, but they were also kind of worried about the whole financial situation. Yeah. Especially, like, moving away from home when I had never left home before. Right. So what made you persuade them? I explained the future opportunities within the job market and potential experiences that I would gain that are unique to Massachusetts. Like, I feel like especially being in Boston is such a big hub. Yeah, no, absolutely. What made you realize that you wanted to transfer? Like, was there a specific moment or was there kind of a perpetual longing to transfer? I feel like from a year and a half at USS, I was always waiting for it to get better. And, like, waiting for the college experience that everyone else seemed to be having. And I just never got to that point. And I knew I had to leave. Yeah. And I couldn't. That totally makes sense. Yeah. Absolutely. How is your life at USS different from your life at BU socially and academically? I would say socially, I was a commuter. And so I wasn't able to make as many friends or join as many clubs. Like, I had to drive consistently. And so I just wanted to get home at the end of the day. I took mostly night classes. That really limited the social atmosphere that I could be a part of. And I just felt like being, like, a lot of the clubs were hosted at night during my night classes. Yeah. And I met at night. So it just really wasn't feasible for me. Yeah. And then as far as academically, I would say it was not very rigorous. I was skating by in my courses at USS, where I feel like it's, like, a completely different ballpark. No, absolutely. Yeah. I mean, it was a big transition. Yeah. So what made it worth it for you to follow through with your transfer despite your parents' disapproval? I think more so just the fact that I would be able to gain new experiences and, like, a type of happiness that I had never gained before. I was really, like, I really wanted to experience college in all of its glory. And I feel like that's my dream. I wasn't ready to let go of that dream despite every challenge that was thrown my way. And I would say my fear sort of reinforced how important this transfer was to me. If I had such large emotions from the thought of it, I couldn't help but think about living it. Like, I just really wanted to experience something unique and different. And, like, living in Florida was such a, like, I lived in such a small town that nothing new ever happened. Oh, yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Um, what were your transfer worries? Like, what was your biggest conflict in transfer? Well, um, my biggest worries were that my parents thought DU was too liberal to be beneficial for me. Yeah. Especially, like, coming from a red state. Florida is so red, and that just wasn't something that they were, like, looking at. I guess they didn't want that for me. And my grandpa paid for my college tuition under the condition that it was in more of a conservative area. But going against that and wanting to go to a school in one of the most liberal cities in my country pushed him to no longer find my college education. And, like, consequently, the college tuition is now on me. Yeah. And my parents aren't helping me either. Wow. Okay, yeah, those are just some huge points. Yeah. To consider. Yeah. So what keeps you going through the financial pressure of college? So I'm, like, taking out student loans to kind of deal with it that I'll have to pay off. It was definitely, like, one of my biggest fears when I was transferring. But I know it's, like, it's a good reminder to keep going and to, like, work towards my dreams because I need to accomplish this. And I feel like I cannot think about it for long or else I will start to spiral. I try to remind myself that I made the right decision and that I have to succeed. Like, one of my biggest mottos is I always say, like, I cannot afford to fail. Like, no matter what, I cannot afford to fail because then all of this will be for nothing. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Thanks for sharing that. If you could do it all over again, what would you do? I would make the same decision over again 10,000 times if I needed to. I feel like I've grown so much as a person and as a student being here. I wouldn't trade it for the world at all. Like, all the people that I've met socially and through, like, clubs and getting to experience, like, a whole new world and living in, like, an urban area, I feel like it's an experience that I wouldn't trade for anything. And especially coming from, like, my hometown, I feel like a lot of people are just stuck in limbo and don't ever leave, like, our hometown. They stay with the same people. They never grow. They never evolve. And I just knew I was always destined for more. So, that's, like, really what I wanted to say. Do you ever miss anything at USF? No, really, I don't. Really? I miss my family a ton. Like, I love my family and we're close. But I think I've grown so much as a person. And even my parents have said that they have, like, recognized that I've grown into a different person. And I think that wouldn't have happened if I didn't leave. Like, if I stayed home, I wouldn't have grown into the person I am today. And I feel like I'm smarter and, like, I'm growing intellectually. I'm pushing myself out there, trying to be more of, like, a social person and put myself in new situations. So, I feel like that's definitely, like, something that I'm happy to be away from. No, no, that's awesome. I'm really happy that you were able to achieve your dream of, like, a so-called traditional college experience, like, campus. Yes. Thank you so much for answering the questions. Of course. That was awesome. Of course.