Meet graduating senior Taylor Haas!
Name: Taylor Haas
Hometown: Miami, Florida
Year/School: Senior, SIS
Major: International Relations with a minor in Japanese
Campus activities: Phi Mu
Hobbies: Culture, food, traveling, adjectives, music, drawing, hiking, music, reading
Future goals/job: If I could be Anthony Bourdain then I would, but I would settle for a diplomat or an ambassador. However back in the real world, I would love to be some type of cultural consultant of a company or even the government.
Perfect date: If a guy is taking me out on a date in the first place, he’s golden. In all honesty though, for me it’s more about the person. Of course a girl likes to be courted, but if the person is genuine, honest, and has a good sense of humor, who’s really going to complain?
Favorite TV show: HIMYM, Sherlock, House of Lies, Smallville
Favorite musician/musical group: Beatles, Coldplay, Empire of the Sun, Royksopp, Classical, Big Band, Rock, Jazz, so almost everything. I’ll give anything a chance.
Top five places you want to travel: Japan, Australia, Colombia, India, U.K.
One interesting thing about you: I have an unhealthy obsession with houndstooth
Favorite place in DC: I love finding new places in DC, walking in between metro stops, taking the bus, going for a run, whatever! Recently, my favorite has been the view from Japanese Stone Lantern, especially with the blooming cherry blossoms.
Favorite class at AU: Cross-Cultural Communications and Conflict Cuisine (I literally preach about these classes)
Least favorite class at AU: Some things are better left unsaid
Five items you would bring if trapped on a desert island: Rope, a tarp, a machete, a book of edible plants, and a refillable pen. What can I say? I was a great Girl Scout.
Favorite food: This is often one of the most difficult questions on a survey; it also doesn’t help that I’m not super picky, that I love to try new things, and that I absolutely adore food.
Favorite experience while at AU: This year I was able to serve as a Goodwill Ambassador for the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Nothing could have better satisfied my interests in cultural exchange, Japan, and of course DC, like the invaluable opportunity that I experienced through this position.
One piece of advice for someone starting college in the fall: Go Greek. In all seriousness, I almost didn’t do it, but since I joined my sophomore year, it has been one of the best choices I’ve made. When all the woes of college are bringing you down and there seems to be no one who understands, it great to have an entire community behind you to remind you of your true worth.
Photo Credits: Courtesy of Taylor Haas