As Campus Celebrity you would probably be tempted to ask what this weeks celebrity, Anna Vecchi, is known for here at Providence College, but a much easier question would be to ask what she is not known for. Anna Vecchi is a 21 years old Providence College senior who is majoring in Health Policy and Management and Community Health. She has helped with not only serving the Providence College community that we all hold so close to our hearts, but also helps all around the world. She is extremely involved at PC and has changed lives for the better. She is full of positive energy and always looking for a new adventure. She is constantly wearing a smile (and maybe something with minions on it from despicable me), so if you see her around campus, make sure to give her a wave and say hello!
What are the clubs/activities you are involved in and what is your position in each if you hold on?
I am fortunate enough to be on the Executive Board for Special Olympics and Habitat for Humanity here at Providence College. For Special Olympics, I am the Volunteer Coordinator with another student. Our task is to organize and manage the volunteers that come to our events here on campus as well as the events we have throughout Rhode Island. I am the Fundraising and Events co-chair for the Providence College chapter of Habitat For Humanity. We organize the annual Spring Break trip and any events throughout the year that try to raise money or awareness for the club. I am part of the Outreach Committee for the Board of Multi-cultural Student Affairs (BMSA). I am a co-chair of the annual Walk to Remember, a 5K to raise money about Alzheimer’s. We are currently in the process of planning the second Walk to Remember at PC! I am participating in the New Orleans Immersion trip in January, which meets every week and has a handful of events throughout the year. More academically focused, I conduct research for my HPM advisor, right now in regards to the health insurance exchanges that have been occurring throughout the nation. I also intern at the Rhode Island Department of Health and I have been there for five months.
How do you manage your time with so many responsibilities?
I believe that it is all about how you prioritize. It is important to know what is the most significant and essential task at hand. Without being able to prioritize, I do not think I would be able to get anything done.
What made you want to be so involved in the school?
I really love Providence College. I wanted to make my mark at this school and contribute to the community as whole, and I wanted to do that through my involvement. Also, I would be so bored if I was not involved. It’s nice to feel like you are a part of something greater.
What was the first club you ever joined?
I joined Special Olympics in the first two weeks of freshman year!
Out of all of your activities which is the most rewarding?
Habitat for Humanity has been the most rewarding activity thus far. I have gone on three Habitat Spring Break trips and every time is extraordinary. Habitat is so great and something that every PC student should participate in before they graduate. It is such a rewarding, fulfilling, and fun experience. You work along side deserving and dedicated people who are waiting for a new house. It such a nice feeling to know you helped someone put a roof over their family’s head.
What advice do you have for other students who want to get involved, but aren’t sure where to start?
Going to the involvement fair was so helpful! It presented me with an overwhelming amount of options and opportunities but from there I got to pick and choose what I wanted to do. I would say to put your email down for anything you are slightly interested in doing. It doesn’t hurt to try out a club, even if it’s for one meeting!
What is your favorite memory from serving on these clubs?
One of the most memorable things I have done at PC was participate in a may-mester in Ghana. It was not a club but we did service work in a Pokuase, a rural village, and I do service for most of the clubs I am on at PC. Everything about the trip was incredible and truly changed my life for the better. One of the best moments from the trip is when I got to work at
a traveling nurses clinic and administer vaccines. I literally held the fate of some children’s lives in my hand as I picked the appropriate immunizations. Since then, I have appreciated life so much more and have become a better person because of it.
What do you think is the most important thing you have taken away from being so involved at Providence College is?
To always be passionate about what you do. Since I began school at PC, service has become such a large part of my life. Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”, and I think that is what happened to me in my four years at PC.
Do you have any future plans set for when you graduate? And do you plan on continuing your involvement with Providence College?
I am in the process of applying for the Peace Corps! It is the most excited and scary thing I have ever done. I am waiting to hear back but if I get accepted I will be going to Uganda for two years! I will always have such a strong connection to Providence College, they will never be able to get rid of me!