This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Amherst chapter.
Meet Allison Ogawa ’18. Find out her advice to the world and how she would make the world better if she could. Oh and just wait until you see hr pictures of doing Yoga!
Tell me about where are you from:
I am from mountaintop sunrises, yoga mats in the dry, dry heat, and too many cooks that I love in the kitchen that I call home. I am from climbing rocks in the desert and cuddling up with Thich Nhat Hanh and my cup of tea on a chilly afternoon. I am from finding joy in the small things and giving gratitude to all beings. This is otherwise known as Albuquerque, New Mexico.
How does the weather at Amherst compare to the weather back home?:
New Mexico gets the best of all seasons: hot dry summer, crisp fall, (occasionally) snowy and (always) sunny winter, and wet breezy spring…. Aka my first winter here really hit me like an avalanche.
Why did you choose to attend Amherst?:
As a tour guide, I get asked this all the time, but I still don’t have a great answer. As a prospective student I wanted to experience something completely different so I looked toward New England. The 5 College Consortium and open curriculum were definitely selling points for me, but to be honest, what attracted me here isn’t what has kept me here. If you asked why I stay, I’d say it is for the people who challenge me every day to reconstruct what I think I know about the world. They are the ones who challenge me to be aware, mindful, and grateful.
What are you interested in both academically and leisurely?:
I love hurting my brain over sociological conversations and challenging the very foundations of what I believe. I also am very interested in health and wellness and hope to go to med school and study integrative medicine (mixing the best of the East and the best of the West together in a healing focused medical practice). When I am not in class, I lead a life dependent on my yoga mat and the beauty of the outdoors. Those two things are even better when mixed together in the company of friends.
What are you passionate about the most?:
I don’t think I could say I have one thing that I’m passionate about the most… There are too many wildly unrelated things that I love. If I had to choose one thing though, it would probably be seeking balance in life, relationships, and communities. That being said, emphasis on the “seek.”
What are your plans for the rest of your time at Amherst and beyond:
Who knows! I am a big planner, but I’m trying to retire from that. I will say that as a little girl, when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, my immediate response was “Mother, doctor, shoe designer, and librarian.” Time will only tell if 5 year old Allison knew what she was talking about. Hopefully though, some travel and yoga, especially a practice at Mysore, will be on the horizon.
If you could make one change to the world, playful or serious, what would it be?:
Easy! Everyone would practice meditation. I know it wouldn’t fix all the problems of the world, but I bet it would make a great start.
Also, I would make dark chocolate drops rain from the sky. I’d like winter and spring a lot more J
What’s something you’ve always wanted to say but never got the chance to say it?:
Namaste Bitches.
(Just kidding!)