You’ve definitely seen her rushing around campus with her heels off, coffee in hand…get to know Alli Mahoney, Student Senate Treasurer and overall Wonder Woman!
Hometown: Fairport, NY (outside Rochester)
Major(s): Math and Economics with a Pre-Law certificate
Her Campus Siena: I know you’re one of the busiest people on campus! So, tell me: what exactly are you involved with?
Alli Mahoney: I’m on Student Senate as the Treasurer— I chair the Budget Allocation Committee, which allocates funding for all of the clubs on campus. I chair Senate’s Committee on Service and Support, which handles any donations that Senate makes or service opportunities that they are involved with. For example, I work on Alex’s Lemonade Stand, which happens during Sienafest every year. I’m also a CPI Fellow, an Ambassador and I sit on the Women’s Center Committee on Global Actions and Concerns.
HCS: Wow! So how do you deal with being so involved while juggling a double major?
AM: I schedule everything in Google Calendar, but I also write everything down on paper. I write it down twice. I think writing it down prevents me from forgetting, and Google Calendar gives me that reminder. And a lot of coffee…lots and lots of coffee!
HCS: What got you involved in senate?
AM: I applied during my freshman year on a whim – a “why not?” moment – and I sat next to the Treasurer, Erin Trudeau, who I really looked up to. When she graduated, it just made sense to take on the role that she had.
HCS: What’s one major thing that has changed about you between freshman year and now?
AM: My ability to realize that people being angry about or disliking a decision I’ve made is very different from people being angry at or disliking me. Freshman year, I wasn’t very confident in the decisions I was making and I was very much afraid of people judging me for my actions, but I’ve come to realize that’s not the case, so that was one of my major stepping stones.
HCS: What do you hope to do post-grad?
AM: I’m not really sure. I’m looking at two options: I either want to go on to law school and focus on either taxation/banking law to bring my econ/math background into law. If I don’t decide to go into law, I want to go into public policy. Ever since I was younger, I’ve always loved children, and I work with them at home and I’ve seen the vast difference between inner city and outside schools, and I want to advocate for them.
HCS: Name someone at Siena who has been a great influence on you.
AM: Karen Keis, because she’s really helped me realize what I said earlier (about being confident in my decisions), and has always been someone I can turn to in times of stress or when I don’t know where to go or what to do. She’s been really supportive of me since my freshman year.
HCS: Favorite event at Siena?
AM: SEB’s Charity Auction!
HCS: Describe your life in a song.
AM: “Chip on My Shoulder” from Legally Blonde the Musical.
HCS: Any advice for someone who also takes on a lot?
AM: Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it… but make sure that you listen to the reasons they give for why you can’t do it, and make your own decision accordingly.