I didn’t start my academic journey as a Duke. I started my adolescence chapter as a Radford Highlander. I know, big difference. Everyone knows each other as such a small university. When you start as a freshman at any university, you typically go through the wonders and excitement with those same friends. You know that they are just as lost as you are, but you get to find the answers together. I decided to leave those friendships and the comfort of my environment to start a new beginning as a JMU Duke.
I have learned that being a Duke consists of more than just being a student at JMU. Being a Duke means repping your royal purple while yelling out “Duuukes” at a football game. Being a Duke means exploring what the campus has to offer in your free time. Most importantly, being a Duke means excelling in your academic journey for the future to come and making the Duke name proud.
School Spirit: Being a part of your school’s identity and repping purple and gold creates a powerful community. Going to a football game with friends to represent the "Duke" name and watching a win come out of a play is such a proud moment to be a part of. Sure, you’re not on that field day after day practicing the play, but you're just as important to provide your fellow Dukes the energy that is needed to secure that win. Having school spirit for JMU establishes a positive attitude towards having the “Duke” name. There’s a sense of unity in being in that crowd with a thousand other students that you don’t know. We all are putting the meaning of being a Duke at that moment to reflect our love for and gratification of being a Duke.
On-Campus Activities: There are an abundant amount of on-campus activities that James Madison University has to offer. Over 1,300 events are hosted on campus each year. Going to the recreational center, you’ll find many fitness tools that offer you skills you probably would have never known you had. From rock climbing to swimming, along with 25+ other intramural sports, UREC is a great place to excel in each of our fitness journeys to become well-rounded Dukes. If UREC isn’t the best fit for you, no worries. The Student Activities & Involvement Center, located in the Madison Union, provides opportunities to develop new relationships within the campus community through programs and activities.
Academic Success: We all have our own academic journey at JMU. The academic tools provided to us aid our path in becoming educationally successful. The programs located in the Student Success Center have an array of guidance to help students overcome academic challenges and provide student services. The Academic Success Program assists students under academic suspension or probation. This gives students insight to academic strategies that can be beneficial to their personal success. Taking advantage of these tools provided by the school can make a substantial difference in your learning career as a JMU Duke.
The future is in our hands. Representing the meaning behind being a “Duke” will be carried throughout each of our lives. Our achievements, performances, and influences derive from the choices we make today. As a community, we get to make those everyday choices as a JMU Duke. Simply going to UREC, the Student Success Center or a football game construct who we want to be for the next chapter in our lives. The fulfillment of pride walking across that stage with a diploma is knowing that we made the "Duke" name proud. We are prepared to take on life's challenges because of the resources we sought out at JMU.
What will you do to be a successful JMU Duke?
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