The Greatest Gift of Graduate School

Graduate school comes with a lot of gifts. For me, a few stand out: becoming a published writer, scoring an internship, getting an on-campus writing job. But one gift has been the greatest joy of my entire graduate school experience: friendship.  

I came into my program only knowing one person. When the summer semester started, I realized that conquering the course load of class assignments was not the only important aspect of graduate school; it was equally as important and formative to meet other people and build community with my fellows.  

Being in such a small cohort — the Goldring Arts, Style and Culture Journalism program, with only six students — the process of getting to know people was swift. Though I had some fears about making friends at first, the great thing about grad school at Newhouse is that each individual student has worked hard to be where they are, so everyone shares a common passion and work ethic. There was never a dull moment in our classes: everyone had an opinion on the latest entertainment news, the latest co-star drama, the new music releases — so we all got to know each other seamlessly.  

For others in my cohort, making new friends has been an experience that has benefitted the way in which they move through grad school. Sara Atencio-Gonzales, a New Mexico native, had never been to New York before coming to Syracuse University. Not only did she know nothing about the area, but she also did not know a single person. Then she met Mathilde Refloch, a former film student from Paris, France. For Atencio-Gonzales, Refloch has positively affected her grad school experience. 

“Being able to bounce ideas off of each other, working to help edit each other’s pieces, and talking through things with people who are also going through the same stuff you are is very nice,” said Atencio-Gonzales.  

Atencio-Gonzales notes how her and Refloch’s paths would never have crossed had it not been for Newhouse — but since they did, she has discovered a lifelong friend, who shares her passion and excitement for film. In Refloch’s words: “We can nerd out on the same exact thing, because she will always know what I’m referencing.” 

As arts journalists, they frequently exchange recommendations: Refloch shares her favorite French films and Atencio-Gonzales shares her top horror movie picks.  

“We have the same base of culture, and when one of us doesn’t know something, we will look it up. Because if she likes it, I know I will also,” said Refloch.

In their first few times hanging out, Atencio-Gonzales recommended “Serial Mom,” a 1994 film that she loves for its funny script and “campy” aesthetic. Refloch watched it the night Atencio-Gonzales told her about it and absolutely loved it. Refloch now claims “Serial Mom” as one of the funniest American films she’s watched all year.

“And I have a very complicated sense of humor,” Refloch added. 

While graduate school has been challenging for the both of them, they feel extremely lucky to have each other. And while Atencio-Gonzales and Refloch have also received the gift of being published authors and employed with on-campus positions, they agree with my initial statement: friendship is the best gift of grad school.