University of North Carolina Athletics
Ahead of Senior Night, Gymnast Julianna Love Reflects On Her Time As A Tar Heel
February 23, 2022 | Women's Gymnastics
Tomorrow is senior night for the Carolina gymnastics team and its five seniors, Julianna Love, Drew Aldridge, Shaylin St. Brice, Emery Summey and Leah Gneco.
Love, a San Diego, Calif., native, will be graduating in May with a biology degree. She sat down with us to reflect on her four years as a Tar Heel ahead of her final meet in Carmichael Arena.
Q: What is your favorite part of being a Tar Heel?
“I think my favorite part about being a Tar Heel is just the amazing environment that is Carolina, whether it's in academics or athletics. Being here has been a surreal experience. Coming here is something that people dream about. It's so cheesy, but people will say, ‘I could just feel it. I knew that this was the school for me’. It genuinely has felt that way over the past four years for me. It is just a special place to be. I'm very thankful to be a Tar Heel.”
Q: How have you seen yourself grown over the past four years?
“I have grown a lot. If you ask anyone, I am a completely different person than I was freshman year. I think athletically, my gymnastics has improved a lot. It’s cool to see that even when you've been doing a sport for 15 years prior to college, to still be able to get better, has been a great experience. As a person, I've learned to handle a lot of things, whether it be time management, personal abilities, and leadership skills and how to handle myself in certain situations. I've been put in a lot of situations where I was forced to grow.”
Q: You have been very involved in community service during your time at Carolina. Why are you so passionate about helping others?
"I have always loved being involved in my community and helping others. I that I have a great platform being on the gymnastics team and I really wanted to be able to take advantage of that. There are so many people here who can help us do things that otherwise would be very hard to get done. For example, Thea, is our honorary gymnastics team member and she has just been amazing to work with. It is such a great experience, to just see even the little things that we do with her and how much of an impact it has on her and her family. She has gotten so close with the team. She really feels as though she is a UNC gymnastics team member. That is such an amazing thing to be able to do for someone.”
Q: What are your plans for after college?
“I’m planning on taking a gap year once I graduate in May to work and do some traveling. And then I'm planning on attending medical school after that.
Q: What can you say about the class that you’re graduating with?
“I think this is a very special class. We have gone through so much in the past four years, good and bad, and we've gotten so close. This year, just the team vibe, feels amazing. To be able to know that we’ve had a large role in creating that environment and creating a place to have so much success is just a rewarding experience. It's sad to think about things coming to an end, but it has been amazing. I'm really excited to celebrate with them on Thursday.”
