Matthew Kolb and Liam Stemetzki have much in common with many other Canfield Business Honors Program freshman students. On any given day, you might find them working on assignments at the Perry-Castañeda Library, attending a meeting for a student organization, or grabbing lunch with friends at J2 Dining. Yet Matthew and Liam are also part of a growing number of out-of-state CBHP students: Matthew is from Illinois and Liam is from New Jersey.
While the transition to college can be a significant adjustment forout-of-state students at any school, Matthew and Liam both feel Canfield BHP and the University of Texas at Austin (UT) have made them feel right at home on campus. Before the semester started, they had the opportunity to receive personalized advising attention from the Canfield BHP academic advisors and make many friends with their peers during summer orientation. Matthew and Liam also enjoyed Canfield BHP’s Leadership Kickoff, a weekend outing at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch involving outdoor activities, team-building events, and an ice cream social for the freshman class.
“It’s a very welcoming environment,” Matthew explained when asked about his freshman year experience in Canfield BHP. Liam agreed and mentioned the friendships he has made with other Canfield BHP students since they take all of their freshman and sophomore business classes in small cohorts: “Coming from out of state, it’s really helpful to have a small group built in.”
This Canfield BHP community also extends outside the classroom. Matthew and Liam have embraced the UT Longhorns’ spirited sports culture and regularly attend football and basketball games with their Canfield BHP friends. Liam noted that “everyone is involved” in cheering on the Longhorns, and “the school spirit helps a lot” with making friendships all around campus.
In addition to embracing UT’s strong school spirit, Matthew and Liam continue to embrace their out-of-state roots. “A lot of people like to talk to the out-of-state people,” Liam said, “because they get to see what life is like outside of Texas.” Matthew added that many of the out-of-state Canfield BHP students quickly bond with one another and form lasting friendships.
Overall, Matthew and Liam have enjoyed Canfield BHP’s support system and all the connections they have already made with other freshman students as well as upperclassmen. “It’s a good community to have as an out-of-state student,” Matthew said while looking back on his first semester in Canfield BHP.
Matthew and Liam hope to meet even more out-of-state students in the incoming Canfield BHP Class of 2027. They strongly encourage admitted out-of-state students to attend the Discover CBHP on-campus event this spring and to connect with other prospective students on Instagram and GroupMe. Discover CBHP and social media helped both Matthew and Liam get a better feeling of the CBHP community. And, if you happen to be at UT for an on-campus tour, you might just meet Liam, a new UT tour guide!
Blog Writer: Nolan Watson