Name: Rachel Anderson
Major: Geography, International Studies
Year: Senior
Hometown: Highlands Ranch, Colorado
This week’s Campus Profile is on Rachel Anderson, an adventurous Colorado native with a passion for people and places. I was able to interview her about her experience studying abroad, her incredibly cool internship this past summer, and what she is involved in and passionate about here at UO! Check out what she had to say below!
HC: What is your major here at Oregon and why did you choose it?
RA: I’ve spent the past four years studying a range of things, but I’m majoring in Geography and International Studies here at UO. Specifically, I focus on issues of identity and gender through culture and geopolitics.
HC: What is one of your favorite memories from your time here at UO?
RA: My favorite memory of college was during my winter term of my Freshman year. I said yes to a completely random road trip to the Hoh Rainforest in Washington with my roommate Mj and three other students she had met in her travel and writing class. Over the course of the long weekend, I had laughed harder that I thought I could, fell in love with the Pacific Northwest, and found my best friends. I really have no idea where I would be if I never met them. So in a way, that trip defined college for me.
HC: Was it hard coming to Oregon from Colorado?
RA: I’ve never had a hard time traveling to other places, in fact, I feel even more comfortable in constant change. However, I really lost part of myself the first term of college not knowing how I should be, who I should be, or where I should be, but it made finally finding myself even more rewarding! The lack of sun got to me at first, but now Oregon is a home to me completely and I am thankful every day I made the move here.
HC: What groups are you involved with on campus?
RA: I’ve been with Carnegie Global Oregon (the “CGO” as we call it) for the past 3 years. The CGO introduced me to some of the most influential people and really helped me develop what I stand for. I recently became apart of the amazing community at Resonate Church here on campus, but I have so much love for Good Fight and the Navigators too! Last but not least, Kappa Kappa Gamma has been such a great group of women to live with these past couple years. They show me how much power women can have when we fight for and support each other.
HC: You studied abroad last year! Where did you go and why did you choose to study abroad there?
RA: I studied in Durban, South Africa. Would you laugh if I told you Buzzfeed chose my study abroad program? I took a quiz on Facebook about where to study abroad and I got South Africa… I committed the next day.
HC: What was one of the most meaningful experiences you had while in South Africa?
RA: Living with my Zulu host family. I had no idea what it meant for people to love you like your own family until I met them. I miss them every day.
HC: What did you learn about the culture there that is different from the culture here?
RA: It’s so funny because I actually learned so much more about how similar we all are. I’ve never dove so deeply into the history, language, and traditions of another culture other than my own before I learned about Zulu people, but the human experience transcends language and culture, let me tell you.
HC: You have actually traveled to a lot of different countries, not only South Africa! Where was one of your favorite places to travel and why?
RA: This is always one of the hardest questions for me to answer! I’ve been lucky enough to have visited a lot of beautiful places around the world which have their own place in my heart. Besides South Africa, I’d have to say the time I spent in the High Tatras mountains in Slovakia was my favorite because of the people and the kids I met there.
HC: You also had an awesome internship this past summer! Can you tell us more about that?
RA: Yes, it was amazing and I still feel so lucky. I interned for National Geographic on the Digital Team!
HC: What was one of the coolest experiences you had while working at National Geographic?
RA: Oh man, it was certainly something running into Beverly Joubert on our floor or Cory Richards casually eating lunch on the steps. Honestly, the coolest experience was the way the digital team treated me and how close I became with them. It showed me what it’s like to work with passionate, good people.
HC: What do you hope to do after college? Do you plan on returning to D.C.?
RA: I really have no idea where post-graduation will take me actually! If D.C. is where I’m supposed to be then I will be back there in a heartbeat.
HC: As a Senior, what advice do you have for Freshmen or Sophomore students?
RA: Always remember that you are not the sum of your past mistakes and you are not only your greatest accomplishment. You are loved no matter what you do. It sounds simple, but if you can grasp this it will change the way you see yourself and others completely!