Meet Nicki Cartier
1. What does HuskyTHON mean to you?
It is hard to really explain how much HuskyTHON means to me. There is no other event on campus like it. I think what is unique about HuskyTHON is that it really brings the whole UConn community together. It is a fun, but also informational and inspiring event to be a part of. HuskyTHON is a family and everyone who participates in some capacity, whether it is dancing all 18 hours, volunteering for a few hours, or donating to a friend’s fundraising page, is a part of that family. It is a night where our entire university can come together to support all the kids past, present, and future of CT Children’s Medical Center.
2. What was it like being a patient at HuskyTHON?
Being one of the HuskyTHON children for the past 8 years was such an honor. It is so awesome to be treated like a celebrity by college students for a night. People aren’t questioning you on your experiences with the hospital, but celebrating the fact that we have overcome so many medical obstacles in the first few years of our lives. I’ve really gotten to know and build strong relationships with many other HuskyTHON families and look forward to seeing them at the event year after year. It opened up my eyes to how college students can give back to their communities and can really make a difference if they put their mind to it.
3. How are you involved in the event this year?
One thing I was sure of coming into my freshman year at UConn is that I wanted to be a part of HuskyTHON. I know that there aren’t many freshmen who factored a dance marathon into their college decision, but along with everything else UConn had to offer, HuskyTHON was a huge plus. I knew I would be able to get involved with HuskyTHON and at a university as large as UConn, I thought it was important to find clubs or organizations to get involved with in order to meet new people and be a part of many different communities on campus. This year I’ve been lucky to be a part of the Management Team. I help out with various tasks on management team whether it is recruitment initiatives or helping raise awareness of fundraisers that are happening on campus, etc. I even started my own team for my friends to join this year! Since I have been a part of HuskyTHON for so many years, I am always trying to give advice to the other Management Team members
4. What else do you do on campus, both in terms of academics and for fun?
Like the typical UConn student, I find that my schedule is extremely busy, especially as we get farther into the semester. I dedicate a lot of my free time to HuskyTHON and attend multiple HuskyTHON related meetings during the week. This semester I also joined the Business Connections Learning Community and am going on their Spring Break trip to Costa Rica in a few weeks! I also enjoy hanging out with both friends from home and new friends that I met here at UConn.
5. What are you studying and why?
I am studying Health Care Management through the School of Business. With all of my experiences with being a patient at CT Children’s Medical Center since I was 5 years old, I am always looking for ways to give back to the hospital that gave my life back. One day I would love to work somewhere where I can be a part of making a difference in other people’s lives. By majoring in Health Care Management, I am hoping to be able to work the business side of a hospital or other health related organization because it has already had such a large impact on my life so far.
6. What is your favorite quote or words to live by?
“You were given this life because you were strong enough to live it.” –Unknown
7. What is your favorite thing about being a husky?
My favorite part about being a husky is that we have such a diverse community. I meet new people every day and have made various groups of friends here. It is always nice to meet new people and hear all that they have to say. Everyone is friendly and welcoming which made transitioning to college life so much easier.
8. If people are on the fence about joining a team what would you say to them right now?
If you’re on the fence about participating in HuskyTHON, I would highly advise you to sign up!! If you don’t want to commit to all 18 hours, then at the least volunteer to help out for a few hours. If that is still too much to ask, donate to a friend’s HuskyTHON page and show your support that way. If you are on the fence about joining because you don’t have a team to join, then get a few of your friends and make your own team!! You can even sign up for HuskyTHON as an individual and don’t have to be a part of a specific team. UConn students may not realize how much time and effort the Management Team puts into making HuskyTHON such a wonderful event for both UConn students and the HuskyTHON families that look forward to coming back every year. It truly is a yearlong project and would not be a success without all the student support on campus. It is something you have to experience to fully understand. As much as we can try and explain to you how amazing this event is, you really need to be there on March 7 to see what we are talking about!