You may know her as the studious women constantly in the secret rooms of Spencer, the beautiful dancer that brought to life some of our favorite PMo pieces, the one who brings the life to any frat/srat party, or maybe you just recognize her by her persistent smile and witty personality. Anyway she is seen we can all agree that Grace Shaw is an amazing and talented individual. Here’s to you girl!
Why did you choose Sewanee?
- If I’m going to be completely honest, this was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. It was between Sewanee and William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. They both had equal pros and cons list, up until Sewanee allowed me to have my car and W&M did not. So, my car (named Sven), essentially chose Sewanee for me. Great choice Sven.
How has Sewanee shaped you?
- I think Sewanee allowed me to grow as a person because it didn’t force me to be an adult immediately. I had spent my entire adolescence being an “adult” and never just played or relaxed (I was far too concerned with being perfect). Sewanee allowed me to be carefree and that was a lesson I seriously needed to learn. Now, I’m being forced to be a “real” adult, but I think I’m more prepared for it, especially since Sewanee actually gave me a direction to go with in my life.
Actually, more importantly, how have you shaped Sewanee?
- I feel like I mediate the groups within Sewanee well. I have a pretty eclectic personality and it allows me to be friends with a myriad of people. So I would hope I helped bridge friendship gaps that wouldn’t have existed otherwise.
You’ve been accepted to do cancer research at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Why cancer research? Why Scotland?
- Perfect. This was the exact question for my personal statement to Glasgow. I decided on cancer research because cancer is the coolest thing ever. I know that sounds bad, but its the most intriguing thing I have learned about at Sewanee. Additionally, my uncle, whom I was very close to, passed away from lung cancer in the fall, and that just solidified my decision. Why Scotland? Well, I wanted to get my graduate degree abroad (because why not?), and I suck with foreign languages, so that narrowed my scope to English speaking countries. I also thought it would be a cool experience to return to the motherland (my family is uncharacteristically Scottish for me not to be a second generation American). Also google Glasgow, it is a beautiful city with a very active nightlife and dance scene. My kind of place.
I know you are really involved in PMO. How has the program influenced you?
- Dance is my soul and passion. When I have a bad week you can often find me in a studio “dancing it out.” I’ve been in dance since I was 2 and it really is just who I am. I love it, everything about it, it gives me life. PMo gave me that outlet that I desperately need on a regular basis. It also introduced me to some of my closest friends (namely: Kate Campbell, Class ‘14). It also helped me grow as a dancer and especially as a choreographer.
You gotta’ let us know, what are you going to miss most about Sewanee?
- My baddest bitches: Angelica De Freitas, Allison Arnold, Hannah Fay, and Stephanie May.
I think I speak for all of us when I say “Thank you Sven for bringing us the lovely Grace Shaw.” We’ll miss you girl, PMo will never be the same, but we know you are going to rock it out in Scotland and make us proud!