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Christopher Jablonski |
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Turf management student selected as commencement speaker
Christopher Jablonski served as the student speaker during this year’s commencement ceremony. He graduated with a degree in environmental horticulture /turf management, which is the study of the culture and use of plants that enhance human and natural environments.
“I grew up playing golf,” explained Jablonski. “I would play golf and see people on the course, and wonder what they were doing. That peaked my interest in golf course landscape management. I never wanted to sit in an office. In this field, there is something new and exciting every day.”
“I decided to compete for the commencement speaker spot because I thought it should be a positive, but short speech, ” he said.
His speech was an analogy, relating life to getting a driver’s license, an experience nearly everyone can relate to. He says that the last four years at URI were like having a learner’s permit. Receiving a diploma is getting a driver’s license. Commencement is the day a person sees the freedom of the open road ahead, all the possibilities life has in store.
The Monroe, N.Y. native was actively involved in campus life as an orientation leader, a URI tour guide, the chief operations officer of the Student Senate, a URI 101 mentor, and part of the Science and Math Investigative Learning Experiences (SMILE) program. He was also a student admissions representative, a member of the Student Alumni Association and a volunteer at Peace Dale Elementary School.
“All the opportunities exist here,” said Jablonski.
Jablonski even had time to found the fraternity Sigma Phi Epsilon. “The ideal of Sig Ep is to change the stereotype of a guy in a fraternity,” he said. “It was a good way to promote my ideals of what a fraternity should be. We are the kind of guys women could bring home to their mother.”
Jablonski decided to attend URI when he came on Welcome Day as a senior in high school. “I was overwhelmed with the students’ enthusiasm, even the ones helping park the cars,” he recalled. “URI was near the beaches and it also had a good turf management program. It was an overall good fit for me.”
By accomplishing so much during his time here at URI, Jablonski learned an important life lesson. “Depending on how much effort you put into something, you will get that back exponentially,” he said.
By Jan Wenzel
