This week, Her Campus sat down with Alaina Garren, an Interior Design major with a double minor in Residential Property Management and Entrepreneurship. Garren is from Calabasas, California and was recently elected the Historian for the Class of 2019. She is involved in many organizations on campus including: SAA, IDEAS, Alpha Chi Omega and Junior Panhellenic. We got to learn about her life here at Virginia Tech and what led her to her position!
Her Campus: Being from California, what made you want to move across the country and come to Tech?
Alaina Garren: So, I always knew I wanted to go far from home and I knew I wanted to challenge myself. I thought I wanted to go to school in Texas. After doing a lot of research, I decided that Virginia Tech was the place for me. It’s definitely different from LA, but it’s good to experience something new.
HC: So, did you get to visit before you decided to come here?
AG: Nope, the first time I came here was for orientation. I took a leap of faith!
HC: What is your favorite thing you’ve done since you’ve been here?
AG: Ring Dance weekend is definitely something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. You get to know so many people so quickly. It’s also a great thing to do to give back. Also, my birthday! My friends took me to dinner and it was just really fun and low-key. They knew exactly what I wanted. Another thing is my classes. It’s great to study something that I’m actually interested in, not just general subjects.
HC: What made you want to run for Historian?
AG: All throughout high school I was on the yearbook committee and was responsible for taking pictures. I had a lot of experience so I thought it was the best way to give back to my class. Plus, it’s a lot of fun and I’ve always been passionate about being a leader. I thought the best way to give back to the class was by using my photography.
HC: Your slogan, “Great Pics are Garren-teed When You Vote Alaina,” was really clever! How did you come up with it?
AG: My Dad told me he used it for a 5th grade student council election. Every since I was a kid I had thought of using it if I ever ran for anything. It was cute that my dad used it and then I did. It gave us a good connection!
HC: How did you find out and what was your reaction when you found out you had been elected Historian?
AG: I actually had just gotten up from a nap and was getting ready to go to a meeting. When I walked out, Kelly, the Historian for the class of 2018 and some others, were in the hall getting ready to knock on my door with brownies to surprise me and tell me that I had won. I was so excited! After, I got to go to the HAC, the Holtzman Alumni Center, and attend my first SAA meeting and meet the others who had won!
HC: What is the one thing you hope to accomplish before you leave Tech?
AG: One thing that is really important to me is to come through on the promises I made during my campaign. I want to take great pictures and have everything really documented. I want to have great pictures that everyone can look back on and remember great memories. I also want to learn; not just get an education, but learn. I came to school knowing nothing and after just one year, I have learned so much about being a designer and just myself in general.
HC: If you could choose one word to describe your experience at school so far, what would it be?
AG: Magical: everything has just fallen into place. It’s exactly what I wanted it to be.
HC: If you could choose one celebrity to join your class at Virginia Tech, who would it be and why?
AG: Andy Samberg because I think he is so great and creative. We could put him on ring design!
HC: Finally, what is one thing you want to say to people who read this?
AG: Hey, don’t be a stranger! Come up and say hi! I love to meet new people!