Name: Cindy Ciccotelli
Class: 2016
Major: Psychology, Biochemistry minor
Hometown: Yardley, Pennsylvania
What’s your favorite thing about the college? I love the relationships that the professors have with the students at W&M. You’re not just a number or a face in a lecture hall to them, and they actually want to get to know you beyond the classroom. Over the summer, my research lab professor took our whole lab out to eat once a week just for fun. I feel like that’d be weird at any other school, but not here. I’ll miss it.
What are you involved in on campus?I’m a member of Tri Delta, and have been lucky enough to be the academic chair for the past two years. I’m also part of a chemistry research lab studying Multiple Sclerosis. I play trumpet in pep band, and I’m also on the sailing team!
How did you get involved in all of these awesome organizations?I’ve been sailing since I was 7 and the team here was a big reason why I came to William and Mary. I had been recruited to other schools for sailing, but I was looking for a more relaxed team and I definitely found the perfect mix of racing and fun with our club team here! I love music and playing trumpet, and I fell in love with pep band since that first practice my freshman year. As for my sorority, I am so beyond happy that I decided to rush. Joining Tri Delta was probably the best decision that I made in college. My sisters are amazingly kind, fun, and supportive.
We heard you were recently accepted to Medical School, was this always your dream?
No, actually! I came to William and Mary fully intending to declare a Government major and pursue a career in the field. My first semester here, I took government classes, and also took biology and chemistry because I had been good at science in high school and thought that they would be good GPA boosters…haha…classic freshman move. I ended up bombing my chemistry and biology classes, but loved those classes way more than my government ones, so I decided to go the science route instead. It’s funny how things work out. Now, I couldn’t imagine my life without science and I am very excited to go to medical school!
If you had to give advice to someone wanting to be as successful academically as you, what would you tell them?
I think it all depends on how you define academic success. Right now for me, academic success means doing well enough to get into medical school and maintain that acceptance. However, freshman year, academic success meant working hard enough to pull out that B- over a C+ in Orgo I. Never compare yourself to others; it’s up to you to set the bar for what you consider success. Some advice I could give is to not define yourself or your academic potential by one bad semester, especially if it is during freshman year. I had a 2.5 GPA my first semester at William and Mary, and I had to do a lot of GPA recovery to get to where I am now. But if you start looking at those C’s as the world telling you that you can’t do it or aren’t good enough, you won’t progress. Learn from mistakes, don’t dwell on them!
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned here at W&M?Life only sucks if you let it suck. A little bit of optimism goes a long way.
What is one college memory you wish you could go back and enjoy one last time?Honestly, I think I would love to live on my freshman hall again, even if it’s just for one day. We had so much fun! I wish I had appreciated living there more while it was happening. They are still some of my best friends on campus and I can’t thank them enough for always being there. D1WE 4ever.