Hello everyone, I hope that you’re doing well! My name is Melissa Beecher, and I’m an Academic Advisor in Paul College here at the University of New Hampshire. On behalf of the entire Create Your Own Story Committee, I am excited to virtually share with you the 17th Annual Create Your Own Story celebration.

While this isn’t our normal way of sharing the stories of some of UNH’s most driven and unique individuals, we still think that the videos you’ll get to see, encapsulate all that is good and inspiring about what it means to “create your own story” in this vibrant community. I’d like to share what Create Your Own Story is all about: the CYOS program has always had a two-pronged mission. The first, to highlight the success stories of students who have truly made the most of their time at UNH. The second, to encourage other students to approach their short time at UNH with greater intentionality, curiosity, and personal drive. Sharing these stories helps to demonstrate what is possible while simultaneously communicating that there are many unique paths to success. The power of a story is far-reaching, whether it’s told in person, or online.

We are so excited to share with everyone who is a part of the Wildcat community, the stories of 10 students, selected from across all five colleges within UNH, who all have 1 thing in common: they carved a path all their own and created their own story. A quick shout out to all of you staff and faculty watching who nominated students, to the families who raised them, and to the community members near and far who helped them become who they are today. They wouldn’t be here without you, and we wouldn’t get to delight in the telling of their stories if not for each of you.

So, without further ado, please enjoy the videos we have put together from our nominators and our students!