Matt King, a freshman telecommunications major, said president Jo Ann Gora and the rest of the faculty made him feel welcome.
“Despite being in an auditorium with all these people, we didn’t feel like a number, and that was a big thing when I was looking at the university,” he said.
King also said he intends to take Gora up on her offer to buy students lunch, though he doesn’t know where yet.
Zachary Perlinski, the keynote speaker at the convocation, relived one of his first Ball State moments, but from the other side of the lectern.
“One of my first memories was sitting at this convocation,” the 2011 Ball State graduate said. “I remember President Gora saying, ‘I want to know my freshmen, so reach out and let’s have lunch.’ Well, when the presidents says that, you act on it.”
Just like King intends to, Perlinski took Gora up on her offer. After lunch, Gora offered to introduce Perlinski to alumnus and “Late Show” host David Letterman when he visited campus.
Perlinski said immersive learning was critical to his professional success. He did two immersive programs as a student, creating documentaries on Negro Leagues baseball and sexual assault awareness.
He stressed the importance of immersive opportunities and getting involved on campus. Perlinski worked at Connections Live on campus, eventually moving up to a producer for the show.
“My role with Connections Live was the definition of immersive learning,” he said. “When you think of immersive learning, think of a 9-to-5 job, critical deadlines and real-world partners. It’s the best representation of what life is like post-Ball State.”
Currently, Perlinski works as an associate producer for Harpo Studios’ “Super Soul Sunday.”
Gora also pushed the importance of immersive programs.
“We want to give you an opportunity to work on real problems in real towns and businesses and come up with real solutions,” she said. “That’s immersive learning.”
Between Perlinski, Gora and others highlighting campus involvement, King said he was convinced to break new ground.
“There’s no media design or computer graphics clubs, so [King and I] want to start a club for that as well,” Nathan Stoltz, a freshman art major, said.
Overall, Perlinski said many of his experiences at Ball State helped him on his career path, including his failures.
Perlinski applied for a resident assistant position, but didn’t get it his first try. He persisted and got the job the next year.
The persistence came in hand years later when applying for a job with Harpo. When he was unsure of getting the job, he fought harder.
“My experiences at Ball State gave me the courage to speak up and stand my ground when I needed to,” he said.
One piece of advice he gave focused on the mindset that freshmen should have.
“I was able to take advantage of these opportunities because I began with the end in mind, and I didn’t get delayed in getting started,” Perlinski said. “Now that I’m on my own, I realize just how critical that is.”
