Generations of Meliora: How family and volunteering keep the Rochester spirit alive

Meet Canada National Leadership Council, Personal & Professional Development Committee, and Global Women’s Network member Celia Konowe ’21, T5’21

Share a bit about yourself! What are you up to now?

After graduating two years ago, I moved up to Halifax to pursue my master’s in environmental studies! I’m currently finishing up my thesis and preparing to defend, and I’m on track to graduate in the fall. In addition to school, I am a TA and teach some undergraduate classes, and I just started a year-long (remote) AmeriCorps internship with Yellowstone National Park as a science communicator.

What are your most cherished memories from your time at the University of Rochester?

This is such a hard one. I think the things I find myself missing the most are the people and the mundane moments. I’m still close with many of my friends from college, despite living near none of them, but the social atmosphere at Rochester was amazing. Part of that is an inherent feature of college—living, learning, and socializing with or near friends—but Rochester’s academic and extracurricular flexibility, diversity, and fluidity meant that I kept meeting new people every semester, even as I was about to graduate. I feel so grateful to have met so many wonderful friends, and I’ve found that space to be one of the hardest to get over post-undergrad.

The mundane moments are my other favorite memories, which maybe sounds a little bizarre, but when you spend five years somewhere (I did Take 5), your daily motions are often taken for granted and overlooked. When I visit campus, I think about the paths I took, often every day. The walks from Dougie to Todd on the evenings I had rehearsal, or the late night (and often brutally windy) footbridge crossings on my way back to Phase from the library, the theatre, Hillside, or a friend’s dorms. The trek to and from my car in North Lot and Drama House, which never seemed to get faster, walking from the engineering quad after a late recitation or lab session, and heading to Chabad on a cold and blue Friday evening. I’m a naturally nostalgic person, and as much as I reminisce over the big moments, I also think about the little things, like my paths. My mind was often preoccupied with school or clubs, but those walks connected each part of my college life.

How did campus life and any co-curricular involvement (clubs, organizations, teams, etc.) impact your personal and professional growth?

Campus life allowed me to not only grow leadership skills but also gave me incredible hands-on skills, even for activities that I was new to. Stand-out experiences were with the theatre department, WRUR, our campus radio station, and the club field hockey team. As a student in the theatre department, I got to work both on and backstage with fellow students and incredible artists from the professional theatre world. With WRUR, almost everything is student-run—it seemed so normal at the time, but in hindsight, and having experienced other university radio stations, it’s insane how much we got to manage, design, and create on our own. The club field hockey team was only founded the semester before I started at Rochester, and I had the privilege to lead the club in various positions for a few years. It was so moving to get to watch the club move from the founders into the current cohort, who have done some incredible things since. Overall, student life taught me interpersonal skills, cooperation, collaboration, and the value of student-run community and initiatives.

How did your experience at the University of Rochester influence your life?

Rochester started influencing my life 18 years before I arrived as a student. For anyone who knows me (or my dad), you know that I bleed blue and yellow, and have since my first campus visit at age 5. My dad applied to the University on somewhat of a whim, fell in love, had an incredible four years, and despite not being an outwardly emotional person, shared every moment of that joy with me while growing up. From a young age, I latched onto his love for the school, knowing that anything that brought him so much happiness must be a good place. It’s hard to look at how Rochester influenced my life because I can’t remember a time that it didn’t. I know it taught me the value of and how to build community, the importance of reliability and commitment, and to never, ever settle—or to pick only one passion or dream. I experienced these things in depth as a student, and I’ll take them onwards with me throughout life, no matter how far I am from campus.

What sparked your initial interest in volunteering with the University? What role(s) have you held?

I don’t think volunteering was ever a question—I grew up watching my dad volunteer across multiple platforms, and I started my own path to give back to the University as a student. I joined Admissions as a Meridian and interviewer, and while these were paid positions, they contributed to my love of sharing the school and its opportunities beyond campus. I served as an orientation volunteer every summer and became a Student Alumni Ambassador in my sophomore year. When graduation came along, it only made sense that I would continue to give back. I’ve held three positions since graduating; I started and still serve on the Personal & Professional Development committee of the Global Women’s Network, and recently joined the Canada National Leadership Council. Most recently, I served as one of the four co-chairs for the Volunteers in Partnership conference in June 2024.

What advice do you have for fellow alumni and friends who may be interested in taking a more active role in our alumni and friends’ community?

Get involved! Please! It’s ok if you don’t know how, it’s ok if you feel too distanced from your time in undergrad or from the campus, and it’s ok if you don’t have a ton of time. The University is wonderful at finding a niche for everyone, and we’re genuinely just happy to have more people to share our memories, experiences, and opportunities with. Every individual has a unique perspective that can benefit the University community, and we’d love to hear yours. Please reach out to the Alumni and Advancement Center if you’re even a bit interested—it’s worth reconnecting and finding your way to make a difference.

What’s the most rewarding part of staying connected with your alma mater?

I love seeing people every year at Meliora Weekend or every other year at the VIP Conference, or in between at regional events. It’s also validating that there are more Rochester fanatics out there—I live in a region that doesn’t tout the same kind of university spirit as schools like the University of Rochester, so I love getting those moments, even if brief. Additionally, as I mentioned before, I don’t remember a point in my life without Rochester, and staying connected allows me to continue that commitment to the University.