Name: Anna Porter
Major: Communication, Certificate in Public and Professional Writing
Year: Junior
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
HC: What are you involved in on campus?
AP: I’m a Cheerleader. I write for Pitt’s Health and Wellness blog. I work part-time at Lululemon. Those things take up all of my time.
HC: So then what do you like to do in any free time you actually have?
AP: Yoga! I love yoga. It’s an amazing work out! It’s become my safe-haven because I wake up in the morning and it’s go-go-go, but yoga is the only seventy-five minutes I’m actually breathing throughout the day. It’s a great stress reliever. A lot of what I get taught in a yoga studio becomes more applicable to everyday life when things get a little crazy. I take it three times a week. I run twice a week. I love any way that I can sweat, whether it’s pure barre or dance classes that I started taking this past summer.
HC: What classes at Pitt have you taken so far that you’ve really loved?
AP: I really liked Persuasive Writing for Advertising and Fundraising because all the projects were super hands-on and really creative. It was super involved and really made me think.
HC: What are your favorite things about Pitt and/or Pittsburgh?
AP: What I love about Pitt is there’s always something going on. Whether you’re interested in sports or academics, just a little bit of everything is always happening. I love that Pitt is based on traditions and has a really strongly connected community and alumni association. What I love about Pittsburgh is THE FOOD, oh my god. I think Pittsburgh has the most amazing food. I love Il Pizzaiolo in Market Square. Kaya in the Strip District is amazing. But my grandmother has the best restaurant. I’m also really close to my family – we’re big crazy Italians. Every Sunday my grandmother makes sauce, and we go there. So it’s great that I live close enough to have my own life down here but when I’m really craving some good cooking, I go home.
HC: Do you have any advice for any of our readers who are freshmen?
AP: Get involved with something. Pitt offers so much, so find something you’re passionate about and pursue it. Also that no matter what situation you come in to [while you’re at school], you can learn from it and take it as beneficial and not as a failure.
HC: Do you have any big goals for yourself this semester?
AP: I want to get into the Communication and Business dual-major program. I want to start my own lifestyle blog. I’ve always loved writing. It’s always been there for me so I want to keep doing it. A lot of my life is surrounded by health and wellness and loving food so I want to pull in a balance between them and write about that. By the end of the year I also want to have secured a full-time internship outside of Pittsburgh because as much as I love this city, I want to venture around more.
All photos provided by Anna.