Connor Sturniolo

My name's Connor! I'm a senior majoring in Journalism with minors in Political Science and Literature. I'm originally from Atlanta, GA but have called Baltimore, MD home for most of my life. In my free time, you'll likely find me spending time with friends, playing board games, or watching whatever my current obsession TV show is.

I decided to become a Program Leader by having a conversation with my Program Leader, the illustrious Hannah Ames. I had wanted to give back to University College, a program that had given so much to me in my time at AU, and this was the best way I found to do it, and it was a job that was right up my alley.

My favorite part of being a Program Leader is seeing the growth in my students from when we first see them in August or January until they leave our class in December or May. Knowing that I had a big part in their success and building some skills as they move forward into the rest of their college career is something that gives me so much joy.

The number 1 professional skill I learned in my time as a PL is the overwhelming importance of communication. As a PL, you're constantly keeping in touch with your professor, your students, your SPL, and the team of people that run whichever program you're a part of (UC or Complex Problems).

This past semester, my cohort organized a floor-spanning board game night, where we brought together students of all of the different classes in our cohort to play some board games and get to know each other a bit better! I made brownies, it was a great time.

One piece of advice I'd give to a future PL is to cut loose and have fun with this job. You have the opportunity to be a part of a class that involves something that you're very interested in, learn about that topic while also taking a part of someone else's journey through college. The events you can plan with any given seminar are endless, and there are so many opportunities to collaborate with the professor and really cater the class you have to what you want it to be.