Hometown: Newport, Washington
High School: Newport High School
Major/Minor: Psychology Major
Activities: Relay For Life, Theatre Shop, Service Cluster Board, Dance Marathon, general shenanigans
Study Abroad: Montevideo, Uruguay; Spring 2012.
Why did you choose Middlebury?
For me, the deciding factor was my interaction with students when I came for preview days. When you apply to a school like Middlebury, you know that the student body will be brilliant. What was more important for me was feeling as though I fit in with my peers. I could see myself being friends with the students I hung out with on campus and I loved that.
Why/How did you choose your major?
I chose to major in psychology because every semester my favorite classes happened to be my psych classes. It is easy to become overwhelmed when it comes time to decide on a major, but at the end of the day it’s all about what subjects are consistently the most rewarding or fascinating for you. For me, that was psychology.
What was your biggest challenge transitioning into the college atmosphere?
I’m from Washington State, which means there is a three-hour time difference between Middlebury and my hometown. I’m actually not the kind of person that needs to call home every day (try about every 1-2 weeks), but I am the kind of person that remembers important-information-to-tell-mom over breakfast. It sounds silly, but it was really difficult for me to stop calling my parents at odd hours of the morning (think 4-6AM PST).
What is your fondest memory of Middlebury thus far?
Definitely competing in The Hunt 2012 this past J-term is the most fun I’ve had in my past three years at Midd. The Hunt is this massive 4-day scavenger hunt that takes place each year where students compete in groups of 10 to complete over 100 tasks and trivia questions. My friends and I pulled a group all-nighter to turn in our clues before the deadline. Afterwards we went to breakfast bleary-eyed and covered in body paint and watched all of our team youtube videos. I actually don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard in my life; my face was sore for two days, no exaggeration.
What is your favorite class/Who is your favorite professor?
Last fall I took Sociology of Gender with Laurie Essig. I chose to take the class completely on a whim about 5 minutes before my advising appointment, and it turned out to be one of the most fascinating classes I’ve taken at Midd. While the workload for the course was light and the discussions were a lot of fun, it was a difficult class in the sense that you had to really think about the material and work to apply it in order to do well.
What do you do in your spare time?
I enjoy painting and drawing. During the year my dorm room is covered in canvases and paper so that I can paint and doodle straight onto my walls. A significant stretch of free time will always result in a new piece of wall art in my room.
I also spend quite a bit of time working on the technical side of theatre. I work in the shop building sets for the faculty productions each semester and sometimes I help with student-run productions as well.
Additionally, I’m a freelance quidditch fan, an avid Proctor panini maker, a sculptor of snow, and an ace at Peanuts! (a FANTASTIC card game).
If you were a disney character, who would you be and why?
Pacha, The Emperor’s New Groove
He enjoys the simple things in life, he’s a great friend, he can rock a poncho, and he doesn’t mind hanging out with a talking llama/David Spade for the day. Also, HELLO, it’s John Goodman. Boom baby.
One piece of advice you would give prospective students in the admissions process?
I think it’s important for them to know that that definitive “aha!” moment, that love-at-first-sight “gut” feeling that so many people talk about while selecting colleges doesn’t happen for everyone. Seriously. How many tour guides/friends/cousins/classmates have told you stories about the moment they decided their school was “the one?” I love Middlebury and I can certainly understand how somebody could fall so fast for the place that is now my home. However, I think the “soul-mate school” mentality can be counter-productive if on every campus tour you’re expecting to “feel it” or move on. My process was much more drawn-out and reflective, more “pros and cons” than “she loves me, she loves me not,” if you will.
