This week’s profile is focused on alumna, Raquel Capellan. Raquel graduated in May 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in Broadcasting and a minor in sociology.
*This Interview was taken about a week before graduation May 2017*
HC: Tell me about your four years at Susquehanna. What was your experience like?
RC: The past four years have been amazing, character-building, challenging and fun.
HC: What activities have you been involved in?
RC: Well, I’m the Productions Officer of WQSU, the on campus radio station. I’ve gone to the Leadershape, a leadership institute that’s a week long, and sixty students from SU are selected to attend each year. I also worked at the campus garden, as well as catered. I used to work for the community food action team where I’d help them garden and recruit a group of students to do a lot of volunteer work.
HC: Is there a project you are most proud of?
RC: I created a project called Straight Out of Reading and I presented the research at Harvard. So, for that project I went back to my high school and interviewed six alumni and twelve current students, and basically we spoke about the education system and what we felt was wrong with it, and what should be changed or improved. We also spoke about our experiences as minorities and I changed the title of it to A Minority’s Experience Beyond The Living Lights of Reading, PA for the purposes of my research at Harvard. So, to be able to say that I went to Harvard University to present social science research has been one of the grandest accomplishments I’ve made to date.
HC: Here at Susquehanna studying abroad is a big thing. So, where did you go?
RC: I went to Puerto Rico for two weeks. It wasn’t necessarily my dream plan but that’s where I went.
HC: What are plans after graduation?
RC: My plans after graduation…well I officially accepted a position with College Possible, an AmeriCorps program. So I’ll be helping juniors or seniors by mentoring them and helping them apply for scholarships so that they can receive as much financial aid for college. I’ll also be helping them write they college essays, study for ACT exams, and lead classes. Literally just make college possible for them in St. Paul, Minnesota.
HC: Are you ready for that?
RC: Yes, I am, I am.
HC: What do you think you’ll miss most about SU?
RC: The people, my friends, my mentors, my mentees. I’ll really miss the community, because we’re a family and people here mean so much to me just as much as I think I mean to them. And not having that community right in minutes of me will be kind of hard. So, yeah I’ve build a lot of strong relationships with faculty, staff, and friends on and off campus. These memories will last a life-time and hopefully the people will too.
Well, that concludes Raquel’s profile. The Her Campus SU chapter wish you the best of luck with your future!