Name: Riana FisherMajor: Biology and PhilosophyYear: 2016Hometown: Randolph, New Jersey
Not only does she have the coolest roommate and name in all of Scranton, but this week’s Campus Celeb is also a published writer! Riana Fisher is a senior who is guaranteed to accomplish great things in her life. Read on and be prepared to be impressed!
HC: What are some clubs and activities that you are involved in on campus?RF: For me, it changes every semester. Last semester, I was really involved with Scranton Mentors Actively Reaching Teens, a program that connects university students to kids from Scranton High. This semester, I’m continuing my position on the executive team for Colleges Against Cancer and Relay for Life, as well as the University Review Board.
HC: What was it like living in Washington, D.C this summer?RF: Living in D.C. was incredible! It was so fun to live in a new place, especially since I got to live with my older sister. My internship kept me busy, but I managed to make plenty of time to experience the city. Between the restaurants, museums, Nats games and concerts it was impossible to run out of things to do.
HC: Tell us more about your internship.RF: I worked for the Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) as their science intern. SWHR is a huge leader in promoting research about biological sex differences in disease, and they have made incredible progress. Every day was different, and since it’s a small non-profit I got to be really hands-on with all the projects. I think the highlight of my internship, though, was getting an article published on Huffington Post.
HC: You are only twenty-one years old and are published on none other than The Huffington Post! How does that feel?!RF: I still can’t believe it actually happened! I’ve gotten amazing feedback from so many people about how important the topic of financial abuse is, and how little they knew about it before reading the post.
HC: What was your piece about?RF: I wrote about the link between chronic illness and domestic violence, specifically as they relate to financial abuse. Domestic violence survivors report having two times the number of chronic health conditions as women who haven’t experienced abuse, and one form of under-recognized abuse is financial exploitation. I hope that by talking about financial abuse, people can recognize the signs and get help for themselves or their loved ones.
HC: It is evident that you have great talent as a writer. Do you think this will influence your future career?RF: Possibly! I’ve always loved reading and writing, but I chose to pursue science in college because I saw it applying to a wider range of potential career paths. I would love to find a way to incorporate my love of science and writing into whatever I do in the future.
HC: Do you believe that your time here at Scranton has prepared you to transition into the ‘real world’?RF: Absolutely. My time in Scranton has been such an adventure, and it has taught so much about the kind of person I want to be. I think it’s a good sign when you’re no longer scared of entering the ‘real world,’ but excited instead!
HC: You might have known that this question was coming… what is something you are going to absolutely miss about the University once your senior year comes to an end?RF: Living with my best friends!
Be sure to read Riana’s article! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/society-for-womens-health-research/why-dont-they-just-leave-_b_7957250.html