Name: Addie Newcombe
Year: Class of 2017
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Manhattan/Orcas Island
Birthday/zodiac sign: My birthday is August 15th 1994 and I am a Leo. I am VERY much a Leo. I like to argue and more importantly I like to win. I’m very strong willed, determined, and I don’t take no for an answer. I’m so proud to be a Leo, and a summer birthday…
Campus involvement: I am heavily involved in Dance Marathon. I was a dancer my Freshman year and then my Sophomore year I was the Director of External Affairs. For Dance Marathon 2016, I will be the Silent Auction Chair. I’m known to raise a lot of money and plan to raise as much as possible for SUDM16 this year!!
What’s a favorite childhood memory? When I lived in NYC, the preschool I went to ran during the summer and my birthday was coming up. My mom asked me what kind of party I wanted and I said I wanted it to be wedding themed. That meant finding me a wedding dress and getting me a cake with a bride and groom on top. Although this is somewhat odd for a 4 or 5 year old, my mom organized it and it was the best birthday of my life.
What would the title of your memoir be? Funny you ask that because this summer my mother is going to guide me as I write a memoir about my experience with Alopecia Areata and what it was like to have two parents that both came out of the closet.
Who is a role model of yours? Elle Woods is my role model. She’s not just a dumb blonde from a movie. She broke stereotypes, believed in herself, and didn’t like anyone knock her down. She led to the beat of her own drum. Growing up, my mom always told me to act like Elle when I was faced with challenges around my disease.
What professors/classes would you recommend to other students? Environmental Skeptic with Mark Jordan, or any class with him. Science was never an area that I excelled in or cared about and Mark changed that. He is so passionate about science and loves college students. I’m taking a class with him in the Fall and I am SO excited. If you need to fill a Macroeconomics requirement, I would recommend Intro to Macro with Dean Peterson. He is the Econ version of Mark Jordan. He’s this extremely tall and funny guy that just loves Econ and his wife (Maureen comes up in every class period). He took the time to know that I was genuinely learning and spent every single office hour going over concepts with me and responded to my emails late at night and on weekends. He is so invested!
What is a legacy you hope to leave behind? Fundraising. My career goal is to be a major fundraiser for a nonprofit organization that focuses on disease research, just like my dad. I want to leave behind a fundraising legacy and emphasizes the importance of empathy and a genuine love of making personal connections with others.
Give us a fun fact about yourself: I am terribly scared of pigeons.