Nilza Marie Santana-Castillo
Clemson Class of 2016
Graduate Student, pursing her Master of Counselor Education in Student Affairs
Twitter: @senorita_nmsc
Clemson House Graduate Community Director
Hometown: San Juan, Puerto Rico (born) but raised in Suwanee, Georgia
Why Clemson?
I fell in love with the faculty and colleagues in my program. The vibe during my interview weekend was great and I knew I would learn so much here because student affairs has great structure and leadership on this campus. Additionally, one tip I took very seriously when searching for a Master’s program was: Don’t pay for it! There are too many good assistantship benefits and tuition remissions nationwide to be going into debt for a Master’s. Clemson treats their graduate assistantship students great and has a lot to support us.
Favorite Clemson Tradition:
Kick-off/The running down the hill during football games. I enjoy snapping pictures of the balloons as they rise and float away. Sometimes, I’ll go to the game just to watch kick-off. Also, I recently got to know who the tiger cub is, but it’s a secret I’m keeping!
Favorite thing about writing for Her Campus?
I have always had a passion for writing, so this is a bit of a hobby/fun outlet for me. I love getting to explore creative topics to the benefit of readers. It helps me grow as a writer; I’ve started doing freelance writing for other sites, and hercampus helped motivate me to pursue those gigs and add more publications to my resume.
Favorite Clemson restaurant/bar?
Toyko Bay. They have an amazing student special, $10 for two rolls (each roll with 8 pieces) of sushi with a salad or soup appetizer and fruit for dessert
Fun plans for summer:
I recently accepted an internship in Chicago with DePaul University. I’m ecstatic I get to spend the summer in Chicago, it’s a diverse and gorgeous city. On my down time I will be a complete tourist nomming on lots of good food. I can’t wait to just spend some time relaxing at Navy Pier.