Ezerina Hyseni is no stranger to big changes. As a teenager, she moved from the European nation of Kosovo to Aberdeen, South Dakota, and quickly learned that she’d have to put some effort into meeting people and making friends in such a new environment.
“Obviously, it was a pretty big culture shock,” Hyseni, a first-year political science major, said. “But, as I started to meet some amazing people there, I realized I can adapt to change really well.”
Hyseni's decision to come to Nebraska — a campus where she did not know a single person — reinforced her confidence to face the unknown and adapt.
“When it was time to apply to colleges, I realized I wanted to get out of my comfort zone again,” Hyseni said, citing Nebraska’s political science department and College of Law as big differentiators for her college decision. “I knew Nebraska would be another big change for me, but I also knew it would help me grow even more and help me reach my goals of becoming a lawyer.”
Driven by a desire to strengthen her community on campus while also building it from scratch, she sought out as much involvement as she could — from Greek life and student government to being a student ambassador for the College of Arts and Sciences — to connect with other Huskers.
“One thing I’ve quickly realized is that you can find your place everywhere on campus — the more you seek out, the more you really feel like you belong here,” Hyseni said. “I've seen the most change that I've ever seen in my life and in myself since arriving here.”
Of course, not every friendship comes through involvement — some of Hyseni's best friends have come from the everyday moments of campus life.
“The people I’ve met from just living in my dorm — friends that live next door and down the hall — those relationships have really helped me because they just came from completely random interactions,” Hyseni said.
“There are just good people here; people that care about the same things as you, people that you share the same values with. If it’s meant to be and you put yourself out there, you will meet them.”
