What is your major and minor? What other academic programs were you a part of?
Environmental Studies Major and Philosophy Minor
What are some of the jobs you held while at McDaniel?
I worked for the Office of Environmental Health and Safety and, later, for the Biology Department taking care of the fish kept by Dr. Staab.
What organizations were you a part of at McDaniel? What positions did you hold?
I was a member of Green Life, Sunrise McDaniel, Live Music Club, and Contrast. I was the secretary of Green Life during my Junior Year and the sergeant at legs of the Live Music Club.
Have you enjoyed your time at McDaniel? If so, what did you enjoy the most?
Yes, I did! In general, I enjoyed spending time with the amazing people I met here and learning about biology, philosophy, and other things I am interested in. I also really enjoyed the opportunity to travel to Peru for my Jan Term and see the Amazon Rainforest, which is something I’ve wanted to do since I was little!
Describe your favorite memory at McDaniel.
Some of my favorite memories at McDaniel are of going to the annual “Rocky Horror Picture Show” Halloween screening at the Carrol Arts Center. The movie itself is…not great, but what makes it fun is that during the screening, the audience shouts specific responses when different things happen in the movie, throw rice and spray water at the screen, dance along to the movie’s famous “Time Warp” song, and all sorts of other stuff. Most folks also dress up as characters from the show – my costume was cobbled together for $11 at Goodwill the day before my first time. It’s a lot of fun and the Arts Center screening is really welcoming to folks who have never done it before. If you have the chance once the pandemic has ended, I’d highly recommend buying a pair of fishnets and checking it out!
What are your plans for after graduation?
This summer, I’d like to get a seasonal job working in natural resource management, preferably something that lets me work outside. Then, once the pandemic is over, I’d like to try and get a masters in wildlife biology or ecology and eventually work with wildlife in some capacity. What exactly that work will be, I have no idea!
What would you tell yourself as a first-year student at McDaniel?
Take the initiative on doing things that you want to do, even if you aren’t sure where to start – you are only about half as incompetent as you think and generally, everybody else is trying to figure things out too!
Take advantage of the library – they’ve got some great books in there!
Eat. More. Potstickers. They will not be served in Glar forever.
Where do you see the world in 10 years?
Honestly, I don’t know and its probably one of the things I stress the most about! But after working with other students hear at McDaniel (especially the awesome members of Sunrise!) to do what we can to try and move the world and our communities, even in tiny ways, towards a better future, I do have hope that our generation will be able to solve the problems that have been handed down to us. So trying to be as optimistic as I can, I see it being well on its way towards something better!
How do you reflect on your senior year during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic?
With mixed feelings. On the one hand, I feel a little bit cheated out of a senior year the way that I imagine it being. I wish I could have spent more time with friends without having to worry about masks and social distancing, that I could have seen more of people who were at home, and that we could have had in-person classes. At the same time though, it was a blessing to be able to spend my last year on campus at all and I still have plenty of good memories!
Is there anything else you’d like to share with the McDaniel community?
Thanks for being cool, guys! The treasure is buried under the witch hazel, where the fox crosses the stream.
