This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Chatham chapter.
Ashley Traynor
Year: Senior
Hometown and what you love about it: Connellsville, Pennsylvania.
It’s such a small town and everyone knows everyone. All the people are just so kind and would give anything to help someone in need.
Area of study and why you chose it: Exercise Science.
I have wanted to be a Physical Therapist since I was ten. I was in a car accident and had to relearn how to walk again. It took nine months of intense physical therapy, but I am so glad that my therapist kept pushing me so that I could be where I am today. Ever since then, I just wanted to give to someone else, just like my therapist had given me my life back.
Why did you choose Chatham?
Being from Connellsville, I was so used to having only about 20 people in a classroom. But soon after I began touring schools, I realized that there was no way I could sit in a class filled with 300 people. That just didn’t work for me. I need the small class sizes and individual attention that Chatham offered.
What’s the most unexpected class you’ve taken (or are currently taking) at Chatham?
I never, ever, in a million years thought I would have taken human cadaver. Especially when I was a first year! But I worked really hard to take it as a first year during Maymester. It’s been one of the best decisions I’ve made for classes. It helped me to learn the body in a different light and it’s helped me in other classes. The class was crazy hard, but it taught me with hard work, anything is possible. I even passed that class with an A!
You can choose one movie or TV character to give you personal, heartfelt advice – whenever you request it – for the rest of your life. Which character do you choose and why?
Dory, from Finding Nemo! I think she is so positive and just so happy, I’d love to have advice from her. Though my favorite advice from Dory is, “Just keep swimming!!” I think that’s very applicable to any situation you’re dealing with.
What advice do you have for the Class of 2018?
Be open-minded! You never know who you’re going to meet, or what you’re going to experience. So try it all, and embrace every new opportunity. It’ll only help to make a better you.
What was your favorite first-year memory?
Spring Formal. I had so so much fun that night dancing with my friends at the hotel. It was so nice to just celebrate the fact that I was almost done with my first year and how fast it had went! It felt like I blinked and I was done!
Suppose you get $50 that you have to spend in the next hour. What do you spend it on?
I’d probably buy movies. I love good movies (I have about 600 movies in my collection). My favorite ones are probably Disney ones. Especially Frozen and Tangled! My favorite thing to do at home is get my projector and movie screen out and have outside movies with my surround sound. It’s like being at the drive in, only better!!!!
You can live in the world of any book for one full day. Which one do you choose and why?
Not to sound cheesy, but I would love to live in the Bible for one full day. There’s so many good stories in the Bible, I would just love to meet some of the people and see some of the great things that happened and actually live through it! I think that would be so neat!!
Imagine you get to design an awesome class at Chatham. What would it be and why?
Because of my love for movies, I would have to design a movie class that focuses just on Disney movies. Can you imagine how many people would like to take that class? We’d talk about hidden things in the movies (like how you can see Rapunzel and Flynn Rider in Frozen!!!) and other cool discussions about the movie. And of course, we would watch all of the movies we talk about.
A friend is visiting Pittsburgh, and you can only take them to do one thing. What would it be?
The Carnegie Science Center!!!! I’m a huge nerd and I’m pretty sure I would live there if I could! I love the main building, but since I want to be a Physical Therapist the Highmark Sports Works is right up my alley! I’ve taken multiple family members and younger cousins there and I just love it! I love how they make movement something fun, and I love explaining it to my family and friends. I could literally spend all day there and be perfectly happy!
What is one thing that surprised you about Chatham?
How close everyone truly is with each other. I may not be best friends with everyone here, but I know that if I needed something that I could ask anyone and I know that I could count on them. The sense of community here is something that I absolutely love.
What do you love about being a Chatham woman?
That I’m not intimidated by higher positions or competing against other people for an opportunity. I deserve these positions just like any other person, and I won’t back down for it. I really feel like Chatham has fostered that growth in me to stand up and help me make my dreams possible. I look around at my other Chatham sisters, and I see that same confidence reflected in them. We are strong women, and we will work hard for what we want. There’s just something about the women empowerment here, that I love.