Sunna is one of those amazing people who can strike up conversation with anyone. I met her on one of the Thanksgiving shuttles from New York back to Amherst and we talked the entire time. She’s engaging, friendly and a joy to be around. Get to know Sunna, this week’s Campus Profile.
Tell me about where are you from:
I’m from Princeton, New Jersey. Princeton is a small college town in Central Jersey and I feel like when you’re there it’s easy to understand how New Jersey got one of its two nicknames, “The Garden State,” because there are tons of farms and trees and it’s just beautiful. The other nickname is “The Armpit of America,” so make of that what you will.
How does the weather at Amherst compare to the weather back home?:
The winters are worse here. I just assumed the weather would be the same in New Jersey and in Massachusetts, but there’s actually like a ten degree differential in the wintertime and lots more snow here. Plus spring is a full season back home instead of just a week in early May.
Why did you choose to attend Amherst?:
I got off the waitlist and was super happy to have gotten in! I was most drawn to the diversity of the student body – I thought that here I would hear people’s stories the likes of which I had never heard growing up in a small, affluent, mostly white town. And I have, and I hope I will continue to do so.
What are you interested in both academically and leisurely?:
At the end of sophomore year, I changed my major from Psychology to American Studies. I’m still fascinated by people and why we are as messed up/amazing as we are, but my academic interests have leaned more toward trying to better understand American race relations and the history of minorities in the United States. I think I was compelled to make this change because I felt like I didn’t really understand my identity and because being Asian American means occupying what is often a very strange and overlooked position between black and white. I wanted to clarify this for myself more. My leisure activities of choice are old lady-ish, I like baking and napping and talking to my friends and I absolutely love doing crossword puzzles.
What are you passionate about the most?:
I guess I’m most passionate about hearing people’s stories. I wanted to understand people better so I took psych classes; I wanted to understand my family’s own story better so I took AMST classes. I keep asking my friends at home to do that NYT 36 questions to fall in love thing with me, not to fall in love with them but because I love how it makes you and the other person open up to each other, but evidently they think I’m scheming or something because they won’t do it.
Tell me the best memory of your first year:
I went hiking at the Notch with my friend, we missed the bus back to Amherst, had no idea how PVTA worked, naively took the next bus that came which ended up going to Mount Holyoke, and when we finally got back to school we had to sprint all the way down Route 9 to Val because it was Sunday, steak and salmon night, and like 7:27 pm. We made it and Val has never before or since tasted so good.
What are your plans for the rest of your time at Amherst and beyond:
To get to know more people here while I can! I don’t have concrete plans for beyond Amherst, but I really do hope I get to end up doing something I’m actually interested in.
What is the best compliment you’ve received?:
“Your pants look so well made” — Frost librarian on my new pants. Maybe not the best compliment but definitely a memorable one.