This year's UNI graduates have the opportunity to collect their diplomas in person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began. In their own words, two graduating seniors share what they've learned after a year of unprecedented challenges — and unexpected opportunities.

Gélase Magnificat

Media Production Major 

“In 2020, I had a summer internship in England, and another one in Spain. Then the pandemic didn’t allow that to happen. I was depressed because this was the time I was going to shine and do a lot of things, but the pandemic happened. It was sad, but I tried to use that time to teach myself a few things. So after summer, I started applying for a bunch of photography positions. I got a job in University Relations. It was really one of the dream jobs to have on campus. I also started working at the Northern Iowan as a staff photographer, and as a unit assistant in the Fine and Performing Arts Collection in Rod Library.

On the second floor of the library, there’s an art wall. We had a show that was up that was old, and one day my supervisor Julie Ann Beddow was like, ‘We need to get more creative … let’s use photos of people wearing masks.’ She saw some of my photos from the NI, and we decided to take some more photos. They promoted me to Rod Library photographer and the UNI Masked exhibit went up in April. I’ve never had any photo exhibition, so that was mind-boggling.  People recognized what I can do.

There are a ton of things I learned at UNI that I don’t think I would have been able to learn or experience if I didn’t come here. The pandemic really made it hard for me, but you gotta be flexible and think, ‘If something happens, what should I do?’ Having that kind of mindset would have saved me a lot and I’m using it very well nowadays.”

Tabi Zarazinski

Marketing management and mental health double major 

“Going into the fall, I guess a lot of it was just so up in the air. I was obviously hoping for the best; I don't want this senior experience to go down the drain. So it was very stressful in that aspect. Because my family's asking me all of these questions like, ‘What's it going to look like? What are you doing?’ And I'm like, ‘I have no idea.’

Class structures were different, my job was 100% different. Just the way that we communicate was different. And every step we took, we are still waiting to hear things. People were kind of placing bets on when everyone was going home. Some people said we’re only going to last two weeks, but I was optimistic. Once it got warmer, we learned how to do an outdoor picnic, grabbing to-go lunches, or going out to get fast food and bringing it to sit down in courtyards and such. The experiences that I wanted, I sought them out, and so it made me a lot more intentional as a person.

In the spring, I could be more optimistic — the hardest part is over. And so we're a lot more optimistic about coming into class and having that decent senior experience. I am excited to be able to end this year with a somewhat relatively normal graduation experience. As it gets closer to the end of the semester, there's tiny times where it feels like it did pre-COVID. And so that makes you just relish the moments and the memories as much as possible.”