In the calm before the first day of classes, I sat down with Carolyn Peper, a Fashion Merchandising and Management major from Baltimore, Maryland. As someone who is returning to campus as a Rambassador and one of our campus tour guides, I wanted to talk to her about PhilaU and what it’s like to work in the Admissions office. “I worked open houses when I was a freshman and really liked working them. My mom always told me I’d be good at it,” she told me when I asked why she wanted to be a Rambassador. “I had a really good tour guide when I came and wanted to pass along a similar experience,” she added, describing an experience that seems to be a common factor for several Rambassadors.
   In order to become a Rambassador though, she first  had to choose PhilaU as the place to spend her next four years. As a Fashion Merchandising and Management major, she “really liked the program opportunities. [PhilaU] offered a lot of good opportunities to grow and hone in on what I was good at…plus Nexus Learning is fun!” Carolyn’s passion for PhilaU is obvious just from one conversation with her, and she confirmed it by telling me that she had felt at home even after touring campus in the rain on her first visit as a prospective student.
   Also confirming Carolyn’s love for PhilaU is her involvement in Gemini Theatre, Philadelphia University’s resident theater club. From this collegiette’s perspective they are an extremely hardworking group, a quality that is apparent in Carolyn. “We love having new members,” she said, “we are always looking for people to help out with sets, customers, and other things that go on backstage.” Another great thing about Gemini Theater? Their show for the semester, “The Bold, The Young, and the Murdered” will be coming up just before Thanksgiving, so mark your calendars!
   To finish up, I of course had to ask her for any advice she would give to new students and her answer was a twist on something you’ve probably heard many times: “Get involved, but also give time to yourself. Don’t miss out on your personal growth and also don’t sit around all day not doing anything. You don’t need to be doing something every second though; sometimes you can have just as much fun sitting in your bed and watching Netflix.” When life seems too busy, maybe we should all take Carolyn’s advice to heart; there’s nothing quite like a good binge watch!