Raiders of Wright State: Trevor Giambrone

For many students, starting college and moving away from home can be a big change, but for freshman Trevor Giambrone, moving away meant a 4500 mile trip from Hawaii.

After Giambone made that trip, he eventually found his new home here at Wright State.

Despite the distance from home, he says Wright State still offered a personal connection for him. “I looked for a college on the mainland, and my grandparents actually live about fifteen minutes away from the campus,” Giambrone said.

Without his old friends and family, Giambrone found himself having to adjust to the surroundings that for many may seem like a part of daily life, but for a transfer student may appear like a whole new world.

“The biggest difference between Ohio and Hawaii is the weather. In Hawaii the biggest change is rain. In Ohio you get all four seasons," Giambrone said. "I miss the beach, the good sushi and Ahi poke, the shaved ice, my friends and most importantly my parents."

Along with the the inclement weather, Wright State brought a whole new set of challenges for Giambrone.

“The hardest change I had to make when coming here was being prepared to be on my own. The previous 18 years of my life I would kind of rely on my parents a little bit, and sort of use them as a crutch. Now I have to rely on myself,” he said.

Giambrone said he is adjusting well to the new culture.

“Living in the dorms is great because I feel like I get the whole college experience. I have a roommate and I thought it would be hard because I'm an only child so I'm not used to sharing a room, bathroom and space,” he said.

Overall, he noted that while it was hard leaving friends and family behind, one of the best parts of it all was getting to meet new people with all different titles and backgrounds.

“The people here are very nice and the professors are very helpful,” Giambrone said. “I would definitely recommend Wright State.”