Jorjanna (Jorj) Smith

 

 

Year: Sophomore

 

Bethel Park, PA. It’s only 30 minutes outside of Pittsburgh, so I’ve always been able to jump on the T and see the Penguin games with my dad. Our marching band is also one of the two real (non-roll stepping) marching bands in the state and Bethel Bakery.

 

Secondary History Education and Women’s Public Health. I used to be art education until my freshman year revelation and deciding art was more of a hobby than a passion. Taking Ethics and Women’s Issues and having Dr. Bruckner as my ENG105 professor in my first semester inspired me to do more than facilitate art projects with kids. I wanted to make a difference with youth in a way that would better their lives forever. History was always a very strong subject of mine, and I wanted to educate people about the hidden histories of America, not just the nationalistic white cis male version we are so used to hearing. In this, I feel that people can better understand the struggles of those who continue to be oppressed today. I also wanted to study Women’s Public Health for a lot of the same reasons. I am an extremely sex-positive feminist and I firmly believe in the education of women about their bodies and that sex should be an enjoyable experience. 

 

I am the Public Relations Manager for Feminist Activists Creating Equality (F.A.C.E.). I also am the President for This Is Me, the LQBTQIA+ club on campus, and finally the Social Outreach Coordinator for Girl Up. I work in Student Activities as the Late Night Coordinator too so I am at at least 35% of Chatham events.

 

How to be a better person. I want to learn more about myself and be able to grow as a person, whether that’s through gaining more information in my field or something else.

 

 

Chatham wasn’t even on my radar of colleges when I started my college search. However when I stepped onto campus as the snow began to fall for World Ready Women’s scholarship day three years ago, I felt a calming sense of deja vu. It was different than any other college I had been. We’ve started calling it the special sauce. It’s the spark that everyone had, the sense of community. That’s still what I will love the most about this place, the community and the sense of sisterhood. 

 

Don’t limit yourself. If it feels right, do it. The hardest part is getting over the fear and taking that first step. Also, your parents aren’t always going to be there. It is your life, and you have to do what is best for you, not for your parents, significant other, or friends. 

 

Refer to special sauce. I do not have enough room in my heart for all the talented and amazing people here. I feel like a mom about my babies growing up. I am so proud of us. 

 

Childhood Dream Job: I was a realistic child. I wanted to be an art teacher and had occasional aspirations of being a designer, but I could never sew more than a lost button to a shirt. 

 

Current Dream Job: I would like to teach secondary American history and talk about the view of various P.O.C.s as well as women and LGBTQIA+ in history. I also want to start a women’s health outreach center specific to education and advocacy. Basically by day I want to be a regular history teacher but by night I want to go around with vagina puppets, condoms, and research and educate and advocate for women and girls having a right to their bodies. I am considering becoming a professor for Women’s Studies, with a concentration in Public Health because I really would like to do research and be able to go to conferences and publish works to inspire change.  

 

Pamela’s. I love pancakes with the passion that Leslie Knope loves waffles and Pamela’s is the crème dele crème of pancakes in Pittsburgh. My mom always said that breakfast was my favorite meal because I could never wake up for it; Thank goodness for brunch. 

 

 

Ilana Wexler or Abbi Abrams of Broad City. In a parallel universe, I would probably be Ilana. 

 

Parks and Rec: Waffles with Leslie, levelheaded talks with Ron, sharing sarcastic remarks with April, pulling out water guns at all the wrong moments with Andy, celebrating ‘Treat Yo Self’ day with Tom and Retta, and playing Dungeons and Dragons/Cones of Dunshire with Adam. I mean what’s not to love.

 

We would leave Chatham extra early to take them to Pamela’s in Mr. Rogers Neighborhood aka Shadyside. From there go down to the Cathedral of Learning and see the some of the Nationality Rooms then walk over to the Carnegie Museums and hang out with the dinosaurs and Monet paintings. Afterwards we’d grab some Primanti’s and Pittsburgh popcorn in the Strip District as well as browse around the booths for lunch time. After that, we go downtown, taking the T to Market Square and Point State Park. Next would be, depending on the season, to catch a game at the CONSOL Energy Center, PNC Park, or Heinz Field. After that is all said and done, we can take the incline up together and look at the stars and the Pittsburgh skyline on Mount Washington.

 

Honestly, Magic Treehouse. I’ve read a lot of books since 2nd grade but Jack and Annie were the coolest kids. They were able to read to go back in time to meet Shakespeare, knights, Cleopatra, Leonardo da Vinci and see live dinosaurs. What a place to be.