Ronan Himelrick ’24, journalism and political science, has displayed a talent and passion for connecting with others over his four years at URI. From his roles as managing editor at The Good Five Cent Cigar and a tour guide to his academic achievements, Himelrick’s ability to connect with others has been central to his success. As a tour guide, Himelrick connected with hundreds of prospective students and families, as well as mentoring students as the managing editor of the Cigar. With his involvement, Himelrick has cemented himself as a central part of the campus community at URI. In addition to these accomplishments, Himelrick was awarded the President’s Excellence Award for Academic Excellence in Journalism, which honors students who have displayed academic rigor during their time at URI.
Why did you choose URI?
I remember on one of my first tours, I could see how awesome this campus community is and how vibrant the student life is. We have a beautiful campus as well, and I could instantly see myself here. On my first few tours as a tour guide and now, finishing my last tour ever as a tour guide, it’s a full circle moment to see myself as part of that community now.
Why did you choose to study journalism?
In high school, I thought I wanted to do kinesiology and become a physical therapist. By my senior year, I realized that I didn’t want to do science and math classes, so I came to URI undecided. I had very little idea of what I wanted to do, but I got involved with our student newspaper, The Good Five Cent Cigar, early on because I did my student newspaper in high school. And that just opened the door for me. I was like, okay, I really like doing this whole journalism thing, writing stories, doing interviews, and just like being in that kind of environment. Really, it was joining the Cigar that pushed me down this track. At the end of my first year, I spoke with the chair of the Journalism Department and told him that I really wanted to do this. And he literally asked me, “Why do you want to major in journalism?” And I told him I did my high school newspaper. And he was like, “That isn’t a good reason.” So I told him, “Well, I’ve joined the Cigar too.” And then he said, “Okay, you’re going to be good.” Doing the Cigar and also working through the journalism curriculum simultaneously has been such an awesome experience. It’s such a cool opportunity to get right away.
What is your favorite part of journalism?
Connecting with people is my favorite part of journalism. Just being able to learn more about their experiences, their upbringing, their backgrounds, and how they perceive the world around them is all really eye-opening. Journalism is based on curiosity. Whatever it might be, learning is the biggest goal. And that’s what really kind of motivates me every single day, whether it’s in the classroom or when I’m working.
Can you tell me more about the Cigar and the other things you were involved in on campus?
The Cigar was the big one that took a lot of my life because I served as entertainment editor, social media coordinator, and then this last year, I was managing editor. So I did a lot of work for that, that this last year especially. It was crazy being in charge of everyone, and trying to organize everything was so much work, but it was so much fun. I’ve also been a tour guide for three years, which is now over, which is crazy. It was such a great experience to be able to learn more about this campus and the university and get better at public speaking, having conversations, and connecting with people. Those are the two big things I did, but I also did intermural sports a few times, and I did [Student Entertainment Committee] for a little bit.
What skills did you take away from those roles?
Definitely, public speaking, interpersonal communication, and being a professional communicator as well are the big ones. I remember I took a public speaking class the semester before I became a tour guide, and it was one of my least favorite classes at the time. But if I took that class now, I would love it because that’s what I do every single day: connecting with people, talking, and getting to know them better. So that’s definitely the biggest skill that I’ve learned is connecting with others and being able to have and build relationships with people. Also, having experience working in and managing the newsroom, I gained experience in being in charge of people and organizing things.
Who has been your favorite professor at URI?
That’s such an unfair question, so I’ll go by department. For my political science courses, my favorite professor has been Professor Emily Lynch. She is so knowledgeable, so kind, and so flexible in providing support wherever I’ve needed it and giving me extra resources whenever I need them. For journalism, I have two. Professor Betty Cotter is the most calming, comforting person in the department and someone that I just absolutely look up to so much. The other one is Professor Jason Jacks. I’ve had him for three different classes and had him this past semester for my senior ethics class, and he is just such a great guy to have a conversation with. He’s also so talented, and so has so many great resources to share with all of his students. So I’m glad that I’ve been able to have classes with him because he’s taught me a lot about the technical sides of journalism, like operating cameras and editing and all that kind of stuff. But also just having that kind of positive, calming, relaxing and also really knowledgeable presence in the classroom is so nice.
How has kind of having those relationships with your professors and being a part of so many student organizations where you’re also interacting with people impacted your experience?
I think having familiar faces in the classroom makes everything so much easier because, in some of my classes, I don’t know anyone, but in my journalism classes, everyone knows each other, which makes having conversations in class and providing feedback to each other so much easier. For example, my ethics class right now is all discussion-based, and we spend a lot of time analyzing different scenarios that could make or break a journalist’s career. It’s really awesome to be able to have a really productive conversation about it because we all know each other. I’ve never felt uncomfortable in the classroom, and having that sense of comfort is so beneficial for the actual learning that happens.
What is your favorite memory from URI?
There are so many to choose from. My favorite memory is with the tour guides. We have an end-of-year formal that we go to, and that’s the most fun memory. But also being able to explore more of campus and Rhode Island by working at the Cigar. So, I would say just generally exploring Rhode Island is the biggest thing, whether it’s going to the beach or going to a restaurant or, you know, just experiencing something for the first time. Those are definitely my favorite memories from the past four years.
My favorite experience, though, was going to New York City through Harrington and being able to experience CBS News headquarters, LinkedIn headquarters, and MikeWorldWide. Being able to go there to see what daily life looks like in the professional news area. It was also so cool to speak with [Vladimir Duthiers]; he spent an hour and a half out of his extremely busy day just to come and sit and talk with us. It was the most genuine conversation I’ve had. It was so eye-opening to see what his journey was, how he got to the place that he is, and what steps he took. It was really motivating to hear. ] It was so inspiring to see the entire CBS studio. We went to two or three different control rooms, we went on set, and we went behind the cameras; it was so cool just meeting everyone there. They were all so excited to see that there were students visiting.
What did winning the President’s Award for Academic Excellence for Journalism mean to you?
I was really so, so grateful to be recognized for putting hard work into my studies in the classroom, as well as my work with the Cigar. I was surprised at first that I was receiving the award, but then I was like, wait a minute, maybe I do deserve this; I have put so much work in over the past few years. Being a part of that group of students who received excellence awards is really, really awesome. It’s something I’m really proud of and am very, very thankful for. It wouldn’t be possible without all the people that were around me, like my professors and my fellow students in the Cigar and in class, and having all these different support systems around me.
Do you have any advice for incoming students?
The biggest piece of advice is getting involved makes literally everything so much easier. The reason why I’m here right now is because I got involved. Join a club. The worst thing that can happen is you don’t like it, and you don’t go to the next meeting. But the best thing that happens is you find what you love, you find a good group of people, and you make lasting relationships. So that’s the biggest piece of advice I could give to anyone: getting involved makes everything so much easier.
I think another important thing is to remember that as first-year students, everyone’s going to be kind of awkward, like not knowing what they’re doing. Everyone is in the same boat, so embrace that awkward energy. Embrace the fact that you’re finding out who you are as a person and that is what’s really important: putting yourself out there and maybe taking a risk or two. You might stumble across an awesome opportunity. That’s what happened to me.