This week’s profile is on our new Campus Correspondent Mariah Isbell. Mariah is a very interesting young woman and has been writing for Her Campus since the spring of her freshman year. She has done many profiles on other lovely ladies and gents, so now it’s time for her to have her own spotlight. We hope you learn something new about her and enjoy what she had to share!
Her Campus: What year are you?
Mariah Isbell: I am a senior!
HC: Are you excited about your senior year?
MI: I have a bit of mixed emotions about my senior year. Excited, yes, because facing the reality of being a senior is completely different than how I thought it would be when I was a freshman. I’m also nervous, because there are so many steps I have to take as a senior that I wasn’t expecting. Why I wasn’t expecting all of this, I really don’t know. I built it up in my head that senior year would be a breeze, but the beginning of it is not, and I just need to get past this first hurdle!
HC: What major are you?
MI: I am studying psychology.
HC: What career path are you thinking about with that major? What led you to that decision?
MI: A little over a year ago, I decided that I wanted to become a librarian, instead of taking the usual path a psychology student would take. During the summer of 2017 I was talking with my sister (who works in a library in Columbus) about what I wanted to do with my major. Throughout that talk I realized that I would not be happy taking the path of a psychology related career. It just seems like working in a library, or being a librarian, or any career connected to that field is the right fit for me. When I tell people I want to be a librarian, there is no doubt about it in my head. I feel like it is my true calling.
HC: Are there any schools that you have in mind? Which school are you hoping to attend the most?
MI: I have three schools in mind that offer a Master of Science in Library Science. I plan on applying to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Kentucky, and Indiana University. I am hoping to attend Indiana University the most, because they offer internships at the Smithsonian, and my dream job would be to work for the Smithsonian.
HC: Outside of Her Campus, how else are you involved on campus?
MI: I am involved in the National Residence Hall Honorary as the Vice President of Recognition. I am a member of You Game? the campus board gaming club, and I am also a member of the Honors program. I often attend Psychology club, and I work for University Housing as an Office Assistant at the Village.
HC: How have these involvements shaped your college experience? Is there any one involvement that has had the biggest impact on you?
MI: All of these involvements have helped me come out of my comfort zone since I have been in college. They have helped me grow into the person that I am today. I would say being involved with University Housing has definitely had the biggest impact on myself. I have been involved with Housing since I was a freshman, and I still am in more than one aspect.
HC: How do you handle balancing your academic, social, and work life?
MI: I have several calendars, but even with all of those I still mix things up. So, I would say I am still trying to balance my academic, social, and work life.
HC: How do you like to relax?
MI: I love taking naps. I often listen to music when I am feeling anxious. I would say music is my most often go to choice for relaxation.
HC: Do you have any hobbies?
MI: My hobbies include cuticle care and the E! Network…Just kidding. My actual hobbies include exercising, reading, blogging, knitting, and making Spotify playlists.
HC: If you could describe yourself in three words, what would they be? What words would your friends or family use to describe you?
MI: Awkward, eclectic, and caring. My friend or family would probably say weird and nice.
HC: If you were meeting yourself for the first time, what would your reaction be?
MI: OH! I don’t know. Probably, “She seems interesting”.
HC: Any advice for underclassmen and rising seniors?
MI: Go through college and make the best decisions that are going to help you in the long run. If everyone is going down the same path, figure out if that’s that direction you want to take, and if not go a different way.
If you know Mariah, be sure to say hello when you see her around on campus. If you don’t know Mariah, still feel free to say hello, or wave from a distance. You can often find her walking and then stopping on campus to look at her phone (she is not good at multitasking)! This is her last year here, so if you don’t know her by now, try and seek her out.