What is your preferred name?
Tabitha Schade
What is your major and minor?
Major: Environmental Studies with a Specialization in Policy and Management
Minors: German, Writing, and Urban and Community Studies
What are some of the jobs you held while at McDaniel?
Peer Mentor
Peer Tutor for SASS
What organizations were you a part of at McDaniel? What positions did you hold?
Green Life (Treasurer, Vice President, President)
Green Terror Revolving Fund (active sitting student committee member)
Omicron Delta Kappa
Trumpeters Honor Society
Alpha Lambda Delta First Year Honor Society
German Club
Did you enjoy your time at McDaniel? How?
Yes. As a dedicated student to academics, I have found that my time at McDaniel has allowed me to foster my own mental growth. But on top of this, I have also had the opportunity to grow as a person and realize many things about myself that may have otherwise not been possible had I not decided to branch out and come to college a good distance from my home in Pennsylvania.
Who do you think is/was your best mentor(s)?
Honestly, I don’t think that I had one single mentor during my four years here at McDaniel. Being involved in a number of organizations and different academic disciplines, I have met many educated and wonderful people. Each and every one of them has in some way had an impact on my time here and given me direction which I will be able to utilize later on in life.
What is your best memory at McDaniel?
I would have to say that collectively, my senior year has been the best memory to date. The first three years of my time here at McDaniel, I was constantly overwhelmed with academics. Although I sit here grateful for my activism in taking all my required courses and building the basis for a great GPA, it was a great ability of mine to be able to relax and enjoy my senior year, while simultaneously taking the necessary time to find what I needed for post-graduation.
What were some of the challenges you encountered and how did you overcome them?
I think many of the challenges that I faced at McDaniel were personal ones. Both upon entry and even now I regrettably must say, I don’t know exactly the answer to the famous question of “what do you want to do when you grow up?”. For this reason, I was able to sometimes very quickly lose motivation and optimism, especially if things weren’t going my way. However, through the close relationships that I maintained with my boyfriend, friends, and family back home, I was always able to be reminded of the greater things in life.
What are your plans for after graduation?
I will be staying at McDaniel for just the summer to volunteer as the Environmental Health & Safety intern, which I hope will prove as a great jumping point to begin my career.
What advice can you give to those not graduating?
Make the most of every experience you encounter, whether it be a social or academic one, you can choose how that instance can impact your life.
