05/26/2026
Heading into Commencement, we asked Eren Sarikaya ’26, a homeland security major, a few questions about his time spent here at the University of New Haven and his plans for the future. He wrote an expansive reflection on what graduating means to him and what he hopes to accomplish in the future.
"I am not leaving as the same person who first walked onto campus," he wrote. I am leaving with more maturity, more perspective, more discipline, and a much stronger sense of purpose. There were lessons I learned in the classroom, but there were also many lessons I learned outside of it through leadership, public service, internships, volunteer work, and life itself.
"All of that shaped me in ways that feel very personal. It shaped the way I think, the way I carry myself, the way I respond to pressure, and the way I see my responsibilities to others. Looking back now, I can honestly say that this journey changed me in ways I did not fully understand while I was living through it."
