Year in the life Meet Jamal Royster, a computer science major from Brinklow, Maryland

carolina | class of 2017

getting nostalgic

"THEY CALL IT THE BEST FOUR YEARS OF YOUR LIFE, AND IT REALLY HAS BEEN a great time FOR ME. i've got to enjoy it to the fullest."

WHY CAROLINA?

"THE LOOK ON MY MOM'S FACE WHEN I TOLD HER I GOT IN TO HER ALMA MATER - IT WAS PRICELESS."

CREATING IN COMPUTER SCIENCE

"I REALLY ENJOY THE FACT THAT, WITH THE SOFTWARE, AT LEAST, I CAN TAKE SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T EXIST, WRITE A BUNCH OF LINES OF CODE, AND THEN RUN SOMETHING THAT CAN AFFECT THE WORLD AROUND US."

BALANCING PRIORITIES

Jamal wants to get the best grades he possibly can, but also make sure he spends time with his friends at Carolina before it's too late.

hearing all points of view

"You've got to be willing to be outside your comfort zone and take on new perspectives. now it's my senior year. it's my last year to really do all that, where i have 20,000 different perspectives and people in such a small radius."

TAKING THE NEXT STEP

"I'M CONSTANTLY THINKING ABOUT 'WHEN AM I GOING TO GET THAT FIRST JOB OFFER?,' JUST LIKE IN HIGH SCHOOL I WAS THINKING ABOUT 'WHEN AM I GOING TO GET THAT FIRST ACCEPTANCE?"

JAMAL SUBMITTED DOZENS OF APPLICATIONS, WENT THROUGH SEVERAL INTERVIEW PROCESSES AND RECEIVED A FEW JOB OFFERS, AND ULTIMATELY ACCEPTED A ROLE WITH OPTUM, PART OF UNITEDHEALTH GROUP, IN RALEIGH.

AN ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

Jamal combined his love of music and creative expression with his skill in computer science to help launch an online music start-up called Wayvii.

I'll always be a Tar Heel

"The people that i've met here, the rigorous courses that I've taken here, the nights that I'll never forget that I've had here have really shaped who I've become, and I'm extremely thankful for it."

YEAR IN THE LIFE | JAMAL ROYSTER

Project by: Rob Holliday, University Communications

Report Abuse

If you feel that this video content violates the Adobe Terms of Use, you may report this content by filling out this quick form.

To report a Copyright Violation, please follow Section 17 in the Terms of Use.