Happiness comes in several different forms. One student at KU brings happiness not only to herself, but to others in her community. Annie Matheis, a sophomore strategic communication and applied behavioral science student, participates in several different organizations in the community.
Wanting to get more involved with clubs at KU, a friend recommended that Annie join Student Union Activities (SUA). Annie is a coordinator of the social issues committee. The committee helps raise awareness for certain social issues through event planning, bringing in lecturers and guest speakers. SUA also helped Annie get a better understanding of what strategic communications entailed and she has enjoyed it ever since. Annie is also a co-coordinator for The Center for Community Outreach (CCO) and their program, CREATE, which involves making fun crafts, currently pumpkin themed, with the Ballard Community Center’s pre-school kids. On top of her coordinating activities, Annie is a resident’s assistant of Ellsworth Hall and a member of KU’s only service sorority, Omega Phi Alpha. She also recently discovered that she was accepted into the University’s scholar program. On top of it all, Annie will be spending her winter studying abroad in Costa Rica!
With such a active lifestyle, Annie has learned to take a step back and relax every now and then. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with friends, watching Netflix (particularly “Orange is the New Black”), reading and volunteering!
Spending time with Annie showed me how truly driven she is. Talking about her goals brought a glimmer to her eyes, and I know she enjoys doing what she does, no matter how she much piles onto her plate.
“My ultimate goal is just to make a difference in the immediate community. I mean, as college students we have so many opportunities thrown our way. It’s crazy how many chances you have during your college years. My goal is to make a difference by taking advantage of all the opportunities that I can,” Annie said.
Eventually Annie hopes to tie in public relations with a non-profit organization, wanting to either run her own non-profit or create one herself. She also has plans to join the Peace Corps, a two year program, after she’s done with her undergrad, and then return to school to get her masters.