Name: Chloe Dean
Major: Political Science and Urban Studies, Gender Studies Certificate
Year: Senior
HC: What on-campus activities are you involved in?
CD: I’m currently a Team Leader with Jumpstart, Vice President of the Student Civic Engagement Council, President of First Book, and a member of the Pitt Dance Ensemble. I’m also a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and a Lambda Sigma Honors Society Alumni.
HC: Which one is your favorite and why?
CD: My favorite is Jumpstart. I started with Jumpstart my freshman year and I can’t stop doing it. I’m so in love with the program and the people who I’ve met through it. I love working with the children we serve—they’re so intelligent and eager to learn. I’ve grown so passionate about the organization.
HC: What got you involved in JumpStart?
CD: I knew that I loved working with kids and I needed a work study job. It sounds so lame but I was at my PittStart and one of my First Year Mentors asked if anyone qualified for Work Study. I raised my hand and he said “Do Jumpstart. You have to.” I looked into the program and thought it sounded great so I went for it. It was definitely the best decision I’ve made in my college career because the program is so much more than a Work Study job. Each day that I leave Jumpstart, I honestly feel like I’ve made a difference in the surrounding community.
HC: If someone was interested in getting involved in JumpStart, or in extracurricular activities in general, what advice would you have for them?
CD: I would say to definitely talk to people involved in the organization. They’re going to give you the most honest answers to your questions and it’s the best way to understand what you’re getting into. I found a lot of what I’m involved in through my service with Jumpstart but I also found a lot of stuff at the activities fair freshman year. Although, I feel like I keep finding out about new organizations Pitt has every day.
HC: What do you like to do in your spare time?
CD: I like to relax. Sorry that’s a boring answer, but between all of my commitments it’s hard to find time for myself. I’m pretty extroverted so I always enjoy being around my friends; relaxing ends up turning into doing random things with friends. I’ve also been on this read-books-about-life kick so I’ve been tried to read more books for pleasure but that’s getting hard to balance with school.
HC: What advice would you give first semester freshmen?
CD: My biggest regret freshman year was that I held myself back. I’m a pretty cautious person so it was really hard for me to just jump right into something new; I felt like I had to know all of the details and plan something out for me to do it. Now that I’m a senior, I know that some of my most fun memories are times when I just jumped right into something new. I would say that my best advice would be if you’re interested in something, just try it out. There’s always the option to stop doing something but if you never start you never know if you like something. Literally just go for it.