New Hampshire
UNH's Class of 2024 reflects on a tumultuous few years — and offers words of wisdom
Seniors at the University of New Hampshire donned their caps and gowns this weekend for graduation ceremonies. For many in the class of 2024, college was bookended with upheaval – beginning with the onset of the pandemic, finishing with campus protests of Israel’s war in Gaza, some of which ended in arrests.
For many of this weekend’s graduates, college was also what it has been for generations of alumni: a place to learn new things and meet new friends.
“It’s rare to have this opportunity to be in such a tight-knit community for so many years in a row,” said Seth Rupp, who majored in music. “I don’t know if we’ll have that again in life.”
Rupp said his high school graduation was far from normal – and the start to his college career was disorienting, too.
“Going right into college with virtual classes and kind of limited social capabilities and quarantining and covid testing is kind of a really strange world. So it’s really cool to graduate and kind of have reached a point where it’s sort of normal again,” he said.
The campus protests have been a big part of his last weeks as an undergraduate – he says they’re on everyones’ mind. But he says it wasn’t an interruption – just another part of his college experience.
“I personally was pretty proud of my community, to see people just showing up for what they believe in and using their voices,” he said. “It’s been a little tumultuous and tense, but we made it nonetheless.”
Rupp’s friend Anna Coulobme, who majored in psychology and justice studies, said her favorite parts of college were the new people and opportunities.
“Some of the stuff that I’ve done here I’ve been nervous to do,” she said. “And that’s ended up being some of the stuff that I’m most thankful that I did.”
Advice from the class of 2024
Mason Davis, who studied history and played football, said he didn’t get a real graduation from high school, so this one felt particularly special.
His team won the Coastal Athletic Association conference championships in 2022, which was a highlight. And Davis said making lifelong friends was one of his favorite things about college.
“It’s like a small town in Durham,” he said, “but it’s like a big group of people that always have your back and will support you no matter what.”
His advice for college students is to work hard and seek out advice from professors.
“They’re there to help you, big time,” he said. “Have fun as well, enjoy it. You only get to be in college one time.”
Rachel Dalai, who majored in political science and loved being a resident assistant, said students should make the most of their time in school.
“Make it worth it,” she said. “Do an internship, go abroad. Make good professional relationships.”
Joy Woolley and Clarissa Gowing said the key to college is getting involved — namely through joining clubs and studying abroad.
Both graduated from high school as the pandemic was starting. Woolley’s high school commencement was in a parking lot. She got her diploma in a plastic bag, while her parents watched from the car.
They met on Instagram, and then became friends in a Zoom class, talking on the Zoom chat. Now, they live together. And they started a club, Reading Rainbow, where members read books together by queer authors and authors of color.
“It will build you such a good support system, and you’ll meet so many people that you wouldn’t have otherwise,” Gowing said.
For Gabriela Onasanya, a political science and justice studies major, exploring campus was the best part of college. And having her family watch her graduate on Saturday was exciting.
Her advice? “Be open to new experiences. Be open to new people. Just be open.”
Sam Flynn, who studied mechanical engineering, had similar wisdom: “Join clubs, talk to new people they wouldn’t normally.”
“Find your people. Find people who you click with,” said Adam Dapolit, who majored in political science and international affairs.” And it might not be right away, but just find people who you can surround yourself with and really make the experience what you want it to be.”
Isabella Hart, who studied fine art and food systems, said starting college with the pandemic was tough. But by sophomore year, she’d found her place. She started working as a tour guide and lived with seven roommates.
She was frustrated by the university’s response to protesters earlier this month. But she said it was exciting to see students getting involved and coming together.
Hart was looking forward to graduation, and she said it went by too fast. Her advice for future students is to build community and try new things.
“Get involved and talk to as many people as you can,” she said. “I think you’ll find your connections in the most random places.”
It wasn’t until I moved out of state for my first year at Syracuse University that I realized just how special New Hampshire is.
As a freshman, the first three questions you’re always asked upon meeting professors and fellow students are: name, major and hometown. When I answer that I’m from Webster, N.H., I’m often met with slightly perplexed expressions from domestic and international students alike. Something along the lines of, “I’ve been to Boston, but I don’t really know anything about New Hampshire” or “There’s a lot of mountains up there, right?”
So, I came up with a sort of elevator pitch. A quick and easy explanation of what New Hampshire is.
“Well, I live in the middle of the woods, off a dead-end dirt road. Enough so that I have videos of moose trotting across my yard, pictures of groundhogs sitting on my front doorstep and memories of my dogs playing with baby deer. But, I’m only a half-hour drive from the capital city, Concord. I’m an hour from the beach, an hour and a half from Boston, where I can see any of my favorite artists perform, and just two hours from Portland, Maine, and Burlington, Vermont. I’m surrounded by woods, lakes and mountains, but still have the option to venture into a city or lay by the ocean for a day if I’d like.”
At first, I was surprised by people’s reactions when they would comment on how nice it must be to live here. Enduring the cold winters and rural isolation gets old, and I certainly don’t plan on staying here forever. Still, I’ve noticed that the way I describe it has always been more affectionate than I gave it credit for.
But what I’ve realized since leaving is that New Hampshire is more than just its convenient geography. It’s a feeling you don’t fully understand until you’re far enough away from it to miss the small things.
It’s recognizing yourself in the lyrics of Noah Kahan, hearing your home described in a way that feels nostalgic and deeply personal. It’s the pride of seeing “Live Free or Die” on license plates and tattoos, knowing it isn’t just a motto, but a kind of identity people grow up internalizing.
It’s summers at Canobie Lake Park, riding Untamed for the tenth summer in a row and still flinching at the top. It’s road trips up North to Lincoln, watching the mountains slowly take over the horizon. It’s holding onto my dad as he snowmobiled around our house, wind biting my face while everything around us turned into a white blur. And it’s the constant hope of refreshing Snow Day Calculator, waiting for that announcement that meant the world would slow down for just one more day.
It’s the small familiarity of it all. Walking into Pitchfork Records and knowing the man behind the counter; talking about music as a shared interest, not a mere transaction. Visiting the middle school for my little brother’s events and knowing the teachers there will greet me like I’m still their student. It’s the kind of place where community quietly becomes a staple of your life.
It’s winter evenings that have a way of slowing everything down. Joining my family on the
couch with the sound of Fritz Wetherbee’s voice coming through the TV, steady and familiar. The introduction of the old, crackling vinyl singing, “There’s an old-fashioned home in New Hampshire with a light in the window for me.”
Although the appeal of New Hampshire has naturally worn off after 19 years in the same small town, and I often joke that I need to leave, my classmates’ replies have reminded me how remarkable the state really is. None of these experiences can quite capture it on their own, but together they point to what it means to be from a place that is small, but feels endless — one where nature, community, history and memory all overlap in ways you only fully appreciate once you leave.
I’ve always loved the idea of travel, and I have every intention of city hopping in the years to come, chasing new places and versions of “home.” But regardless of where I end up, the Granite State will always feel like mine. It’s where I know I can return when I need a renewed sense of familiarity, comfort or perspective.
For me, New Hampshire is more than the place I was born. It’s the confidence of knowing exactly what it feels like to belong somewhere, and the comfort of realizing it’s been there all along.
Addyson Kimball is a lifelong resident of Webster. She is currently a sophomore at Syracuse University, where she is dual-majoring in Political Science and Law, Society and Policy.
I’m always one to relish local eats, adventures, and unexpected experiences from around the area. I kept hearing whispers through the grapevine about a legendary psychic medium out of Portsmouth, a woman in her 70s who people swore is crazy accurate with her intuitive abilities.
And after multiple recommendations from locals, I knew I had to meet her.
Her name is Betty Lipton.
Around the Seacoast, Betty’s name (the “Portsmouth Psychic”) seems to travel in an almost folkloric way. Nobody hands you a business card, but they’ll most certainly mention her and the specificities of their reading that left them with goosebumps.
That alone intrigued me.
In an era where every self-proclaimed psychic has a social media brand and a neon storefront, Betty feels like a relic. The kind of local legend whose reputation was built slowly, person by person, reading by reading, over the course of decades.
Now approaching her late 70’s, she’s reportedly spent most of her life working as a psychic medium but has always known about her gift since childhood. First living in New York for a good portion of her early adult life, she now resides along the seacoast.
According to an interview with WMUR, Betty says, “she’s spent more than 40 years helping locals find clarity, comfort and, above all, connection.”
So on a whim, I called Betty to book an appointment and to my surprise, she had a cancellation that day. Coincidence much?
Found at the heart of Portsmouth, Betty has her own office with a beautiful waiting area for those coming in groups.
I spent 45 minutes with her reading my palm, channeling my energy and inner thoughts and even having a visit from my grandmother (who, to my surprise, is watching over me). And although I won’t disclose intimate details about my read, I will say that she knew details about my life that you certainly wouldn’t find on the internet!
I’ll give you a quick example… Betty told me my daughter would have children who would call me “Mimi”. Ready for the freaky part? My toddler had JUST started calling my mother Mimi this past week.
READ MORE: This Inspiring Free Portsmouth Exhibit Spotlights Christa MCauliffe, 39 Other Trailblazing NH Women
Meeting Betty Lipton started to feel less like booking an appointment and more like a crazy coincidence. As a firm believer of signs and “meant to be” moments, I can vouch that she will help you gain clarity or give you reassurance from a loved one.
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