I met Alyssa Magnuson on a trip to the Bahamas with a club on campus. I was a freshman and she was a junior. She ended up being one of my roommates on the trip and ever since she’s been a great friend to me. With myself being a sophomore now and Alyssa a senior, I wanted to do an interview with her to figure out some details of her life and random facts, so readers can get to know her in the same way all of her friends do.
Rylee: What is your major?
Alyssa: Currently, I am a childhood studies major, but I started off as biology and changed multiple times until I realized this is what I want to do.
Rylee: What extracurricular activities or clubs are you involved in?
Alyssa: I am the president of L.I.F.T. (Ladies in Faith Together), as well as a member of the women’s rugby team and ROTC.
Rylee: What are some of your hobbies?
Alyssa: I really love to hike, camp and travel a lot. Anything outdoors is my kind of thing.
Rylee: Where is your home town?
Alyssa: Originally, I was raised in Webster, NY, but in 2015 my parents moved us to Shakopee, Minnesota.
Rylee: Who is everyone in your family?
Alyssa: So, I have a family of four. My dad, Dean, my mom, Laura, my younger sister, Abby and myself. Plus, we have one dog, Chloe, and two cats, Pari and Georgia.
Rylee: What is your favorite food?
Alyssa: I love baby kosher dill pickles.
Rylee: Where do you want to live, and why?
Alyssa: I’d like to live in Switzerland, just because I want to be in the Alps and eat chocolate all the time.
Rylee: Now I know you’ve traveled a lot, but where’s your favorite place you traveled so far?
Alyssa: Oh, this one’s hard but I’d have to say Mount Rainier National Park.
Rylee: What animals or animal would you like to have when you’re older?
Alyssa: I would want a dog, specifically a brown Great Dane, named Scooby.
Rylee: What’s your go-to drink, at home and at school?
Alyssa: For school, my drink would be a vodka Red Bull. For home, CP (Crystal Palace) and seltzer water.
Rylee: What’s your favorite memory from college so far?
Alyssa: Hiking Merten’s Heart before the sun came up and watching the sunrise over the hills.
Rylee: Who was/is your best professor or teacher you’ve had and why?
Alyssa: The best would be Betsy Cashing because she is very passionate about her work and I look forward to seeing her in classes and as friends.
Rylee: What is the best decision you’ve made?
Alyssa: Without a doubt it would be joining ROTC. It’s given me a big community to be a part of, a sense of purpose and the opportunity to serve.
So, if anyone doesn’t know Alyssa, she is very passionate about ROTC, rugby and school. She knows these things are her future. Alyssa plans on continuing in ROTC and serving. After she serves, she wants to become a teacher. In the Bahamas, she had a great opportunity to test out her teaching skills and from the looks of it, her future is bright. I hope this article gave you some insight on who Alyssa Magnuson is and maybe you’ll find something in common with her too.