Julene Reid

            Whether it was being the Vice President of the Senior Class or a Residential Assistant in Bodine Hall, Senior Julene Reid has always been a quiet but important leader on the UB campus as she finishes up her college life.

            Reid, an Interior Design major, grew up in Jamaica for the first six years of her life before moving to Dorchester, Massachusetts. As the youngest of the five sisters, she enjoyed camping in New Jersey, bike riding and writing poetry as a child. Reid stumbled upon UB during the spring of 2007, after applying to schools such as Sacred Heart University, Boston Architectural College and The Art Institute of Boston.

            "I first learned of UB maybe my second to last month of my high school year and I came here to visit and randomly applied here to this school," Reid said. "I loved the campus and decided this was for me."

            During her first weeks here at UB, Reid described her experience as "separation anxiety" from being away from her family but admitted visiting Seaside Park enhanced her college experience a lot. Fast-forward four years, acting as the VP for the senior class and member of African Student Alliance (ASA), Reid has become a vital force on campus, according to Senior and President of Black Student Alliance (BSA) Jashina Hunter.

            "Julene is a go-getter, very head strong, independent, and confident," Hunter said. "She made a difference at UB by being herself, not conforming to the norms but by staying true to herself."

            As for her major, Reid became fascinated in Interior Design around the age of 15 when she spoke to one of her closet friends about possibly opening a design business someday and has ambitions of becoming one of the top designer's at a large firm before opening her own later on.

            There have been a number of UB professors that have impacted Reid during her tenure in college, including history professor Dr. Samuel London, who she said is very approachable and will listen to your own views. Another is Director of the Mass Communications program Dr. Yanmin Yu, who Reid declares as a tough lecturer says her expectations make you want to do better.

            Geology Professor Dr. John "DocRock" Nicolas, who taught Reid in his "Our Environment: Earth" course in the fall of 2008, acknowledged Reid was a good quality learner right off the bat. 

            "As a student she was dedicated and devoted to her studies and assignments and a pleasure to have in my class," Dr. Nicolas said.  "She always completed what she began, a very positive trait for students in general."

            Reid, who has also been on the Dean's List every semester, acknowledges that taking a leadership role last year and hosting the photo shoot week for senior class in March were two of her most memorable moments in college. Her future aspirations include traveling around the world, first to Italy, as well as doing some free lance photography on the side and possibly creating a jewelry line.

"I would like to be remembered as the person who was about their business," Reid said.  "I liked to set goals for myself and definitely go about getting them accomplished and having people know that my word is my everything and I am serious about that."